Laureate Dashboard Photographer's Profile Award Showcase The Gallery Publications Gears University Expeditions Career About Us Dev-Lab Learning & AI Future Curriculum Curiosity & Consciousness Sign In 📲 Install App Submit Your Work →
Contributing Writer Memory, Objects & Elegiac Prose

Marta Vidal

Marta Vidal is a writer and archivist whose work explores what physical objects hold — letters, worn photographs, things kept against all practical reason. She has contributed to Light & Composition since 2016. A photograph for Marta is always a form of preservation, something the photographer chose to keep. Her Reflections open with a specific object and arrive, gently, at what it means when the moment has long passed.

393 Published Reflections

Reflections by Marta Vidal

Showing 12 of 393 essays
The Weight of the Harvest Photo of the Day
September 11, 2016

The Weight of the Harvest

I keep a small, dried lemon peel in a ceramic bowl on my desk, its edges curled like parchment and its scent long since surrendered to the air. It is a brittle thing, yet it reminds me of the heavy baskets my grandfather used to carry from the orchard, his shoulders bowed under the quiet […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of the Wind Photo of the Day
September 11, 2016

The Weight of the Wind

I keep a small, smooth stone in my desk drawer, pulled from the shoreline of a beach I haven’t visited in twenty years. It is cold to the touch, worn down by the relentless friction of the tide until it feels like a secret held in the palm of my hand. We often think of […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of Migration Photo of the Day
September 8, 2016

The Weight of Migration

I keep a small, tarnished brass key in a velvet pouch, though I have long since forgotten which door it once opened. It feels heavy in the palm, a cold anchor to a room that no longer exists, a threshold I can no longer cross. We spend our lives gathering these fragments—the keys, the pressed […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Architecture of Joy Photo of the Day
September 3, 2016

The Architecture of Joy

I keep a small, silver thimble in my desk drawer that belonged to my grandmother. It is worn smooth by decades of use, the metal thinned at the tip where her needle once pressed against it. It is a quiet, hollow thing, yet it feels heavy with the weight of all the garments she mended […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of the Table Photo of the Day
August 30, 2016

The Weight of the Table

I keep a small, tarnished silver fork in my kitchen drawer, its handle worn smooth by the grip of a grandmother I barely knew. It is heavy for its size, a dense little anchor that reminds me how we once gathered around tables not just to eat, but to anchor ourselves to one another. There […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of the Pause Photo of the Day
August 25, 2016

The Weight of the Pause

I keep a small, rusted iron key in my desk drawer that no longer fits any lock in my house. It is heavy for its size, cold to the touch, and carries the phantom weight of a door I can no longer name. We spend our lives in motion, turning handles and crossing thresholds, convinced […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of a Secret Photo of the Day
August 15, 2016

The Weight of a Secret

I keep a small, rusted tin box tucked behind my books, filled with smooth river stones I collected as a child. Each one feels like a heavy, cool promise held against the palm. When I was young, I believed these stones were anchors, keeping me tethered to the earth while the rest of the world […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of Stillness Photo of the Day
August 8, 2016

The Weight of Stillness

I keep a small, rusted key in a velvet-lined box, though I have long since forgotten which door it once opened. It is heavy for its size, cold against the palm, a physical anchor to a room or a trunk that no longer exists. We spend so much of our lives trying to unlock things, […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of a Glance Photo of the Day
August 8, 2016

The Weight of a Glance

I keep a small, tarnished silver thimble in a velvet-lined box, a relic from a grandmother I never truly knew. It is dented on one side, a mark left by years of pushing needles through heavy wool, a physical record of labor and quiet patience. When I hold it, I am struck by how much […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of Migration Photo of the Day
August 6, 2016

The Weight of Migration

I keep a small, rusted key in a velvet pouch, though I have long since forgotten which door it once opened. It is heavy for its size, a cold weight that reminds me of the places we leave behind and the doors we eventually find locked to us. We spend our lives moving through seasons, […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of a Crumb Photo of the Day
July 30, 2016

The Weight of a Crumb

I keep a small, silver tin in the back of my kitchen drawer that smells faintly of dried oregano and dust. Inside, there is nothing but a few loose crumbs from a loaf of bread baked by my grandmother decades ago. It seems foolish to hold onto something so fragile, something that would vanish if […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
The Weight of Daily Bread Photo of the Day
July 28, 2016

The Weight of Daily Bread

I keep a small, wooden rolling pin in my kitchen drawer, its surface smoothed by decades of flour and the insistent pressure of my grandmother’s palms. It is a humble, worn thing, yet it holds the ghost of every meal she ever prepared for us. When I touch the wood, I am reminded that we […]
Visual Archive Read Essay →
Light & Composition University

Aspire to Write for Light & Composition?

Master the discipline of literary essayism, photographic criticism, and evocative narrative. Explore our accredited diplomas, masterclasses, and craft workshops.

Diploma in Creative Writing and Copywriting Professional Diploma
1-Year Comprehensive Curriculum $275.00

Diploma in Creative Writing and Copywriting

From the first story you dare to set down in your own voice to the single persuasive line that makes readers take notice. Master narrative non-fiction, storytelling, and high-impact editorial writing.

View Curriculum & Enroll →
Becoming a Writer Foundational Masterclass
Self-Paced / Core Curriculum $8.00

Becoming a Writer

For writing stories that move readers — that shape their feelings, raise their expectations, and show the world through your unique artistic lens.

View Curriculum & Enroll →
Basic Creative Writing Certificate Course
8-Week Intensive $75.00

Basic Creative Writing

Develop an instinct for rhythm, descriptive precision, and evocative prose. Learn the fundamentals of transforming visual observations into compelling essays.

View Curriculum & Enroll →
Advanced Creative Writing: Character, Setting, and Story Advanced Workshop
8-Week Masterclass $75.00

Advanced Creative Writing: Character, Setting, and Story

Deepen your narrative architecture. Master character interiority, sensory setting descriptions, and the literary craft of non-fiction and short essays.

View Curriculum & Enroll →
The Art of the Opening: Writing the Lede Craft Masterclass
Focused Masterclass $75.00

The Art of the Opening: Writing the Lede

The art of the opening sentence and decisive paragraph. Learn how to arrest attention and command the reader’s gaze from the very first line.

View Curriculum & Enroll →
A Photographer’s Guide to Writing Visual & Prose Synergy
Publication & Guide $5.00

A Photographer’s Guide to Writing

A guide for photographers who want to articulate the philosophy behind their images, write artist statements, and craft features for global publications.

View Curriculum & Enroll →
Explore All Diplomas & Degrees →