“Susan Sontag writes extensively in her essays ‘On Photography’ about how the camera is a shield. . . . I was hiding behind the camera whenever I could, I wanted my photos to speak for me and unbeknownst to me, they were speaking volumes. Even now I much prefer to be the faceless stranger who appears before you, raises the camera to my face, takes your picture and disappears into the night.
I also used to consistently carry my camera, switched on and in my hand whenever I left the house, which I no longer do. This is because my approach to projects has changed. In those first formative years, my photography was one long project that never ended. I would shoot every day on the way to work and on the way back.
Ever since the Pandemic I have stopped posting daily shots, the work in progress of the project, in favour of starting and finishing the entirety of the project before showing it to anyone. The reason for this is two fold, firstly removing yourself from the daily commitment of social media is good for your mental health and secondly you are only showing the world your best work.
Photography has played a big part in my mental health journey and I expect that’s not dissimilar to a lot of photographers and artists in general. Expression of an art form, when done right, is an expression of our true selves.”
Read the full article in Street Photography Magazine.
Photograph © Ed Walker
