At the edge of day and night, two figures, adult and child, move as one, their silhouettes entwined in a moment that transcends time. This image captures a truth often overlooked: happiness is not a simple choice but a fundamental resonance of existence. As the sun dips below the horizon, light and shadow merge, reminding us that joy arises not from external circumstances but from our very capacity to embrace the present instant.
Here, the dancers do not chase pleasure; rather, they embody it. Their raised arms and lifted feet echo the human impulse to affirm life even as darkness approaches. The photograph invites us to contemplate the paradox of freedom: we cannot summon happiness at will, yet we cannot escape its call when we fully inhabit our being. In sharing a spontaneous dance before the fading day, parent and child reveal the primal wisdom that joy is woven into the fabric of our relationships—intergenerational, intimate, and ineffably human.
In this fleeting tableau, we see our own reflection: the tension between light and dark, the irrepressible urge to move, and the profound realization that to live is to oscillate between what is and what might be. The scene tells us that happiness is neither a destination nor a choice—it is the very act of showing up, of surrendering to the momentary dance between shadow and light.

Happiness Is Not an Option
- Photographer: Fernando Fortes
- Date: June 2, 2025
- Collection: Happy, Visions of Renewal Competition