“Art is not a mirror held up to reality
but a hammer with which to shape it.”
― Bertolt Brecht
Thinking about what it means to not just mirror reality, but also build worlds through my photos. Could I use photos to show people a world that was possible and within reach? Worlds that I’d want to bring life into; colorful, full of nature, people, and life. A futurism of sorts.
Also, I struggle at times, going back and forth on whether I should be using my photos for good, carrying on the tradition of Gordon Parks (‘The camera is my weapon of choice’) or Sebastiao Salgado. Using my lens to bring injustice to life.
Or whether I’m justified in using my camera as a selfish escape, a place away from the constant world of war, ICE, won and lost elections, climate change, and the nonstop doom loop.
Perhaps it can be both.
Learning to let go of the pressure to shoot what I ought to. And shooting what feels right.