“Goodwill is no easy symbol of good wishes. It is an immeasurable and tremendous energy, the atomic energy of the spirit.” -Eleanor Stock

The presence of goodwill is ubiquitous in our everyday lives and presents itself in many forms. Goodwill can range from taking time to volunteer at a local soup kitchen, or congratulating an opponent on a match well played. The spirit of goodwill can be interpreted as the willingness to exhibit benevolence and kindness unto others for the greater benefit of society with no expectation of anything in return. In the mind of a photographer, the word “goodwill” evokes images of selflessness, charity, empathy, collaboration, kindness and love. My main objective for this project was to try and capture these abstract qualities of goodwill in fifteen meaningful and diverse photographs utilizing different editing skills and picture-taking techniques. By experimenting with various locales, compositions, subjects and editing styles, this collection of images conveys a sense of magnanimity in a wide array of forms. These photographs were taken at locations where one would expect to find charity in action (such as a food bank and soup kitchen), but for the sake of keeping the album exciting and varied, I took liberty with my artistic license to feature images and compositions that convey goodwill in more subtle and abstract ways. Additionally, I was lucky enough to capture spontaneous acts of goodwill around our community, such as a young girl sharing a smile with a shelter dog, the enthusiasm of middle school boys as they were inspired by an F1 in Schools car, and an emotional hug between a girl and her friend who survived a near-fatal car crash the night before. I believe these photographs shed light on the innate goodness that is within all of us, and how a simple act of kindness can genuinely touch someone in need. Goodwill can connect people and objects in a deeper, more meaningful way, as well as resonate with all of those who see that image.

 

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