In early April 2025, I traveled to Asia again on a vacation and brought my camera and a single lens with me, my Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S prime 📸
Part of me wishes I had a larger focal range to access, but the restriction to 50mm definitely created a creative constraint to inspire some innovation. It also kept the camera light, which made me more comfortable with taking it out everywhere without worry of fatigue 🪶
I wanted to create more video content out of this trip. I even brought my whole BTS shooting rig in my suitcase. But I didn’t feel compelled to do what I used to do. I was excited to change it up and focus all my effort on just photos.
I’ve been trying to slow my life down recently and reframe where I am going with my photography journey. I find myself learning that stillness isn’t necessarily unproductive, and that boredom and stagnation can actually be fertile ground for intensive self reflection.
I still feel disillusioned with social media. I feel like whether I consent to it or not, the work I share on this platform is being used to keep people on this app longer so Meta can expose them to more advertising. After recent news of how negatively social media affects mental health, I feel like I’m contributing to a system that is profiting off of human suffering. So this weight pulls me down and makes it hard to see a point to all of this.
I don’t want my account to be a billboard for businesses to buy placements, but businesses love to see me that way. To be completely honest, social media has never been a profit-driven venture for me. I made videos with millions of views, but I didn’t make a dime off of those views.
I find myself in a place where I have enough work to be financially stable, but I keep saying Yes to gigs that don’t align with where I want to be. Past clients that expect to get the same low rates. Uninteresting events that feel like the same song and dance every time. I want to do something more impactful with my photography. I want the photos to mean something.
a year agotacolamae
You mean shooting parties thrown by a bunch of rich kids isn’t fulfilling? I’m shocked. 🫢
a year agoartsystuffbymarion
Really cool photos! 🙌 Love them all! Beauty in every single one! I love the reflection on the ground under these kids playing basketball , and have to say I got curious about the pup’s front paws… 🐾 And yes social media is definitely a frenemy, but I’m glad to keep seeing your work here! Good for you for finding time to focus on you and on how you approach your art and general work, we all have to do some of what we don’t want to do, at least for a moment, here and there…. But the good parts outnumber the bad ones and shall overcome them! ✊💪👏👏👏 thank you for still posting!!!!!! You rock @ivstreets !
a year agopurellmyeyes
Often in the stillness, the answers become clear. You don’t “owe” anyone anything. Being true to yourself as a photographer will show up in your photos—and you will create Art. Proud of you @ivstreets
a year agoneoharter
Become a journalist for the UN or a non profit NGO that documents global atrocities.
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