.July 2024.

Here we go… six months in and I feel like I found a groove. Early July I stumbled onto a series that sent me on a path, a creative breakthrough. Walkie Talkie with Paulie B [a New York based photographer] interviews contemporary photographers, shedding light on the craft and philosophies that drive them. I found myself digesting and consuming and rewatching clips over and over again - the same way I was fascinated alongside friends, huddled around a block computer screen watching ripped Skateboard videos from Kazaa or VHS tapes purchased from the local shop then hitting the streets in attempt to emulate them. It all made sense. I found myself inspired by Nazir Wayman, Reuben Radding, Trevor Wisecup, Olu Okiemute, and Jeremy Paige. Their sensibility, attitude, and mindset led me to an episode with Andre Wagner where he talks about how “it’s [life] always happening NOW” & how “what you want, is on the other side of fear” speaking to overcoming the hesitation to not shoot the moment or shoot from far away and settling for less than you envisioned. 

Not only does this speak volumes to any facet of life, it also puts you in social situations you may not be comfortable with. At the end of the day, if you are mindful and authentic, you’re really just spreading positivity and complimenting people on the street, making people smile and having a great time. After spending a month putting this to practice it was consistently inconsistent. So often, we’re focused on how we are perceived by everyone else - and in turn, this works to your benefit to break out of the shell because it is true. While so many are focused inward, the passing moment of an interaction is either noticed or more often than not, entirely ignored.

I had a mixed bag of experiences this month. I can tell where I was too shy to get on the other side of fear and take a shot from afar, or where I had a positive interaction but didn’t utilize the extra time to capture more. I learned about range focus [shooting from the hip] vs critical focus. How flash photography puts you in a vulnerable position “hey, I’m taking your photo..” but at the end of the day I met a handful of people, shared smiles and even sent them the shots after I had them developed. There was definitely an artistic breakthrough this month, I ran through twelve rolls of film, capturing memories with friends and documenting downtown Toronto. Sometimes I’d hit it and sometimes I completely missed the shot, exposure, or focus. And THAT is the essence that I fell in love with when I started this journey. I’m very proud of this July Monthly 35mm and for journalistic purposes I’ll be posting the photos below in order to demonstrate the growth I think is very apparent. So don’t duck out early! Get to the bottom of this Months Collection. As always, there is room to grow, compositions to find, moments to sit with longer, and life to capture. I hope you enjoy this Monthly 35mm as much as I enjoyed being out there shooting!