Advice
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Ethics of Street Photography
“To photograph people is to violate them, by seeing them as they never see themselves, by having intimate knowledge of them that they can never have; it turns people into objects that can be symbolically possessed.” Susan Sontag My camera lens has always been my window into other worlds–often those of other individuals. It makes me a witness to the mundane lives we all live. Yet, I pause and I find myself wanting to capture these ordinary moments. I become an onlooker, hiding behind my carbon fibre and glass box. I capture people unnoticed in their candid states. Are they my muse? As a photographer, I must consider my positioning,…
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Seated on a High Chair
A few years ago in the summer, I was a nanny to two adorable children. And looking back, I learned more from these tiny adults disguised as toddlers, than I ever did as a train-wreck in my teens. I will tell you why. Children know a try-hard faker from miles away–it’s their sixth sense. We can act proud, provide great wisdom, even think we are sounding profound, but they call out our bullsh*t sooner than we realise it is coming out of our arses. Which is why, whatever you do, it’s best to avoid any sanctimonious lessons. It will haunt you… On a late afternoon, the kids I was nannying…
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Change is Hard
Charles Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest,” exemplifies how living organisms that were capable of biologically evolving and adapting to a changed environment, increased the survival odds of their species. And no other species on Planet Earth has changed their environment more drastically or rapidly like Homo Sapiens. It is no wonder we as humans have such difficulties in life. In such a short span, just one human life, we are confronted with multiple decisions; like navigating a mine field with traps in every corner. When you consider it, adolescence has more milestones than a highway. It’s these constant changes that challenge us every step of the way. In life, things…
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Into the Mist
If I was to simplify adolescence into a phrase, I would say it was, “constantly arriving at a crossroad.” Where time and time again, we must weigh the options of our life choices. Whether to study in college, what degree, what kind of job, what sort of lifestyle, who do we want to be? These questions are like mantras keeping us in an endless loop of doubt. We can suffocate in fear of doing wrong; which leads to inaction. Some people follow after what their parents have done either from obligation or convenience. Some have only one concern, of whether there will be food on the table. These life choices,…
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Authentically Ourselves (Pt. 2)
I know it’s easier said than done. But for me accepting myself (which I still work on), comes down to this: If I let others decide who and what I should be, who benefits? When I answer, truth be told, it’s no one. No one at the end of the day is going to benefit from me trying to be something I’m not. At least, I will not reap the reward or become better because of it. Even if society wants people to feel inadequate, they do not benefit from having someone actually change; they only gain something from our unquenchable thirst of wanting to change and selling the idea…
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Admiring Authenticity (Pt. 1)
The celebrities I often admire are ones who admit their own struggles and share their pain for the public eye to see; a kind of vulnerability that takes gumption. I want to be that brave and honest as those individuals. I’m not suggesting that everyone has to pour their deepest or darkest secrets out. I know that cannot be easy, especially as a famous person. The media and the culture of tabloid scandals are overwhelmingly intrusive. What I do want to highlight is that people should feel encouraged to act authentically and speak about things that they do feel comfortable sharing; offering their viewpoint as close to what feels truest…