I still remember buying my first camera around 12 years ago, a DSC T50. It was one of those slim point-and-shoot cameras sold by Sony. I always bring it with me. Smartphones are not a thing yet. Social media is not a thing yet. I don’t know, but I view “taking pictures” back then, not as a form of art, but rather a necessity to chronicle one’s life. My life. I think it all started when DSLR cameras became a thing. I never get it though. Yes, picture quality is really good but as long as there is a camera that takes good enough pictures of things I wanted to take pictures of, it does not really matter.
Personally, I always enjoy looking back at things I have done, places I have been to, and friends I have been with at any specific moment in time, and share it to people I care. From there, my passion for documenting life just evolved. Because slowly, people realized how enjoyable it is to assert one’s identity and for some, to impart it to others. In short, “social media” slowly became a household name. Smartphones became more accessible. Information sharing and information itself became more powerful. From being motivated for the love of documenting things to doing it as a form of art, a different passion. Yes, I never got bored.
To be honest, I never saw myself doing photography as a profession nor feature writing. The luxury of time will never be in my hands nor the initiative to do so, I think. But that tiny bit of passion I have and the happiness I get with taking pictures or documenting things will always be there. I am always grateful to innovators, technology and nature for giving me the opportunity to do these lovely things at my own pace. At my own time, sharing my own little window.
