Photographic essence

Many people say "a picture says a million words." Martha Graham said that "the body says what words cannot." I've often wondered whether you could capture the essence of one's being in a single photograph. The thought experiment goes something like this. What if someone asked you to describe someone, what it was really like to know them, what they were all about. But, instead of being able to use words, you could only hand them a single photograph. Could you really do justice to answering that question with a single photo - with a record of a single instant in time? I'm not sure that you could. But you might be able to come close.

I thought of this question today as I was scanning a picture of my son JD (see high-quality version here). Perhaps it's just because I know him so well but I think this photo really captures a lot of his essence - creative, energetic, a love for life.

So, here's a thought-provoking question (that I haven't figured out for myself). If you were going to be remembered by a single photograph, which one would it be and why? Would it be a current photo? One from your childhood? Would the photo be of just you or would it be a group shot? Would it be fun or serious? An everyday shot or a special event? Would you even be in the photo or would it be a piece of art or a scene from nature?