12/02/2026
At 2024
Still to this day, this is one of my favourite shots I’ve taken during shows. Not necessarily for the aesthetics (which, by the way, are on point for me), but for the essence of the DJ that’s captured. At least my feeling, memory or essence of that moment. And honestly, that is where the trigger of choosing to take that picture lies. I think you’ll understand what I mean if you’ve seen Bodzin playing and absorbing the room. For me, this image instantly brings back a vivid memory.
As a photographer, the essence of what draws us to the medium is the idea of capturing time, freezing a memory. Sadly, that’s no longer the essence in (most) commercial photography/videography. It has to be fast, and whatever you create today might not be relevant anymore in 24 hours. Luckily, most mediums aren’t that fleeting, music, for example. People come to hear the sounds and probably connect emotions and memories to a certain song.
So my personal approach has stayed the same throughout all the years and the many epic assignments I’ve had the chance to do: make some images for myself. Not to please anyone, not to gain dopamine-fuelled applause, just for me.
The sad part of this, for I think a lot of creatives, is that it’s really hard and scary. Making a living means creating to certain standards or needs and trying to balance that with adding enough of yourself. As soon as you make something for yourself, it becomes personal, and appreciation (if it comes) can feel really distant.
Of course, it’s a beautiful idea to only create for yourself. But I think we should all try to add a bit of that into our daily jobs. They booked you, so bring some of yourself to the table. And if it’s not “liked,” at least it was a feeling worth remembering; for you.
I honestly am curious if this is something you recognize or I’m just swimming in my exaggeration pool.
An ode to for making me feel and remembering while working 🙏🏼
