It’s all about keeping the motion…
Sitting here now and actually writing the first blog entry of my life does feel a bit strange. After all, dealing publicly with various topics involves a certain amount of responsibility, and people don’t always agree. Accordingly, I’m excited to see what awaits me along the way. But first, what is this all about?
Well, this is the beginning of a project that will last for many decades and that I like to share with you accross time. My desire, as becoming a social photographer, is to capture the current state of our Earth and life on it. The way we treat each other and our planet has reached frightening proportions. There are so many destinies and issues that deserve constant attention. In my travels, I have repeatedly encountered people who, for various reasons, no one is helping.
Moments like needles
For example, in Albania, I was in the middle lane at a red light when suddenly a little boy poured water on the windshield and started cleaning it. Before I even understood what was happening, the nimble boy had already finished and was holding his hand out to me expectantly. How was I supposed to react? I could see an older woman with a baby in her arms, probably his mother, standing on the side of the road watching him.
If I give him money now, I am supporting the exploitation of a young child. If I ignore him, which I found painfully difficult, there may be unpleasant consequences for the boy and his family. In the end, I gave him 500 Albanian Lek, which is equivalent to about 4 €. Probably this was way too much for the circumstances, but I hoped to help the family a little bit. With a queasy feeling in my stomach I drove on. What occupies me to this day is the question of why! I would have liked to talk to the mother to understand how they got into this situation in the first place and whether there was a way out? I wanted to understand!
All these open questions over the years accompany me until today and are the reason why I want to go this way. Often the causes are very complex and anything but black and white. Probably I can really help the fewest people through my approach, but maybe I can give them a voice through a portrait and let them report for themselves? Like most people, I can’t absolve myself of prejudices, and on my travels I’ve been taught better again and again. Often I had a distorted picture of a country out of ignorance, I simply have to be that honest. I noticed this most clearly in Pakistan.
The first thing that probably comes to mind is terrorists in the name of Al-Qaeda, attacks and religious fundamentalism. Usually, we only receive terrible news about crises and catastrophes, which then shape our image over a long period of time. Accordingly, I was unsettled when the trip to Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains finally began. I had no idea what really awaited me there and was moved again and again by how warmly, openly and hospitably the people met us.
Unimagined possibilities – photography
A few years ago, the love of photography came into my life. It is a wonderful art form to capture moments in a personal way and to tell stories. Since then, the camera accompanies me almost everywhere. Especially on my travels, it has brought me even closer to people than I probably ever would have gotten to them, and very personal moments have come out.
First and foremost, I want to approach the difficult issues in front of me with dignity and respect, and to create understanding for complex relationships. I am not a Samaritan who believes he can save the world, but a photographer with a desire for honest reports and authentic images. There are so many topics that move me, but at the same time I have too little knowledge about.
Approach to Sympathy stands for the idea to deal with the topics transparently and to let a peaceful community develop around it, because together we simply know more! I would be happy if you accompany me on my way and share your thoughts with me. Maybe even one or the other project will emerge? In this spirit welcome on my page!
Kind regards
Darrens