Chapter 9
A Summer of Pause
It’s been a while since I last shared anything here. The months slipped by quietly — slower, softer — and for the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel the pressure to create or post. I simply let things rest for a bit. Now, as the seasons begin to turn again, it feels right to look back on what those quieter months held and where I want my photography to go from here.
In my last post, I wrote:
“This photograph feels like a pause — and that’s exactly what I need right now.
This will be my last post for a while. I’m stepping away from social media — not out of frustration, but from a need to return to something slower, more intentional. The constant noise and pull of these platforms have been dulling my connection to the work itself.
I’ll be taking the rest of the summer to refocus.
To breathe.
To finally spend time with the mountain of photography books I’ve collected over the years.”
So what happened over the summer?
Well, I did a little bit of photography — but as I said then, I was taking a break from it.
Instead, I found myself back in an old rhythm: powerlifting.
After more than three years away, I returned to training with the same group of people — and a few new faces too. It felt good to be part of that again. I even competed, completing a full 16-week prep and finishing with a 50 kg personal-best total over my last competition.
But that’s not really what this post is about.
During those months, I found myself thinking about photography — where it started for me, and where it’s heading. I realised how much I’ve enjoyed stepping away from the constant push and pull of social media and the noise surrounding the “art” circles. The rise of AI has added to that noise too — so many rushing toward shortcuts, chasing attention or a quick profit. It’s not something I want to be part of.
What I’ve truly enjoyed is photographing without expectation.
No posting.
No checking the phone to see if someone “liked” an image.
Just being present — making the photograph for myself.
Now, I’m returning to the full process again — printing my work, holding it, finishing it. There’s something deeply satisfying in that tangible end point. I also want to get back into the markets, to share my prints in person rather than through a screen.
I’ve thought about making videos too — maybe some kind of vlog or behind-the-scenes series — but I know myself. I’d overthink it. For now, writing feels more natural. Even as I write this, I catch myself wanting to rush, to hit publish quickly — and that’s exactly the mindset I’m trying to move away from.
Lately, I’ve been looking back to when photography was more structured for me — when I worked in assignments. That approach gave me direction, focus, and meaning. So I’m returning to that format: creating photo essays again. It’s slower, more thoughtful, and far removed from the fast-paced cycle of single-image posts that dominate social media.
Someone once said, “I haven’t lost interest in photography — that would be like losing interest in eating.”
That line stayed with me.
Over the past few months, I’ve also discovered new voices in photography. I’ve been watching a few YouTube channels I hadn’t followed before, including Tatiana Hopper, whose deep dives into photography’s history and storytelling have been a real source of inspiration.
And so, here are the images I made over the summer — quiet reflections of that pause I needed.
Looking back, the pause was exactly what I needed — a reminder that stepping away isn’t losing touch, but finding it again in a different way. These photographs mark that time: slower moments, quieter thoughts, a return to why I began taking pictures in the first place. I don’t know exactly where this path leads next, but perhaps that’s the point — to let the story unfold slowly, image by image, moment by moment.
