People live here. When exactly I used this term for the first time, escapes my memory but it has remained etched in my mind something like a daguerreotype. The ability to travel is a privilege that I will never take for granted. It is a privilege that my wife and I have enjoyed over the last decade-and-a-half of married life. Now, as the world has changed around us, we realize that this privilege is in all likelihood a thing of the past…. but… people live there.
The morning paper [Digital]
No matter how exotic the destination may be to a traveler or tourist – there are people for whom the very destination is normal – a reflection of the trappings -perhaps drudgery even – of everyday life. It is a sad fact that as humans, we often fail to appreciate the surroundings within which we live. There is so often a yearning for new experiences, new vistas, new tastes and new people. And yet.. we all live here – somewhere.
Old friends [Film]
The expression “people live here” is also aspirational. It speaks of the ability that we as humans have to move around this globe that we call Earth. We can indeed choose to live “here” or “there.” Humans have traversed the land and seas since the beginning of time.
Young friends [Digital]
As a child of Africa, I realize that my existence on the dark continent was only possible due to the travels of my unknown forefathers many generations before me. Now, whilst I am no longer there where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean, people still live there. Many of those people still live within my heart but my “here” is now somewhere else.
Gelata tower muso [Film]
My invitation to you today is to rediscover “here.” As photographers, we learn to see the world around us in a different way. I urge you to look at your surroundings differently. See the way the light falls on a particular vista – whether it be a cityscape, window frame or 100 year old oak tree. Note the texture on the ground. See how the shadows accentuate the wrinkles on the face of an old person.
Weathered [Film]
Reflect on the process of ageing on an old plastered wall. We do indeed live in a beautiful world, wherever we may live….Enjoy some memories of mine while I remember that people live here…
Feeding the birds [Digital]
Early morning at the coffee shop [Film]
Storm approaching [Film]
Kathmandu temple [Film]
The morning walk [Film]
The watcher [Film]
Note: Since “retiring” from commercial photography, most of my shots are taken on film. Where I have used digital, it will be mentioned as such. J