One Eye on the World

“I am an avid observor of photojournalism, I devour images, but I sometimes feel that we verge on exploititive, because we so often major in tragedy and neglect to reflect the true human condition.  Wherever you go in the world, in actual fact people are bettering themselves; forming communities, building families, running small businesses. Most of the time people are industrious, generous and happy. And yet this is not equally reflected in the final images that make publication. To often, photojournalism seeks to convey negative human conditions; anger and grievance, greed and war, rather than generosity of spirit, industrious ingenuity, education and family.

It is a paradox that the more negative the message, the more voyeuristic we become, and it does not sit comfortably with me. My intention is to take uplifting images, to reflect the world as I see it. The other key thing is this, the promulgated intent of photojournalism is to produce images that motivate individuals, organizations, governments, countries, to step in and do something about it. And yet if we showed a nation's true spirit, if we showed future generations engaged in reconstruction, if we saw the good of it all, would we not be more inclined to lend our weight of assistance? Instead we are weary of it all because the purveyed images withdraw us from our humane self.  We don't feel a part of it when we should be. It is destabilising.”