A lot of possible ideas went into this one, but ultimately I pared down to a simpler image, as the pose and the austerity ultimately became more meaningful as I went through this two day edit.

The original idea was to shield yourself from the lies of the church and the bible, and to look for answers on your own, but as I added and removed elements to this piece, I realized the pose, bolstered by the presence of the crucifix on the wall, resembled the Passion Play, or reenactment of the suffering and death of Christ, with the umbrella standing in for the cross.

The Stations of the Cross, or "Way of Sorrows," are artistic representations of the suffering and death of Christ, often found in churches.

I think, for me, this image ultimately means that this dedication and fixation on faith and miracles are like a promise of rain to a parched and dying man, waiting for relief as he dutifully goes through his stations of the cross, the way of sorrows.

Model: Ed Barron