We are all the same

About four years ago now, I studied photography Alevel. And it changed my life forever.

“A photographer must always work with the greatest respect for his subject and in terms of his own point of view.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson - 

We were given a theme at the beginning of the school year and told to develop/express it however we wanted. In AS level ( year 12) I struggled to get my bearing. I tried to do photograpy like every other subject and I think I failed woefully. Photography in yr 12 only taught me how to use my fancy new camera, put together a beautiful sketchbook and the powerful wonders of Adobe Photoshop. Back then, I didn't even know I had failed personally because I still passed the course by just learning that. 

In year 13 and my last year of sixth form, I decided to go deeper. Our theme was 'Alliances and combinations' and with the first mind map I drew, I thought my project was going to be about how important alliances and combinations are. I couldn't have been more wrong. I had learnt all the basics in the previous year but after studying masters of photography like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Richard Avedon for the project, I developed a fresh understanding of the art. 

Photography is so powerful. A good photograph lurks in its viewer's mind forever. A good photograph passes a message like no other media can; sharp, concise, easy and fast. To cut a long story short, I did go deeper, even more than I thought I was going to. My project didn't show how important alliances and combinations are, it ended up showing and teaching me and all my viewers something far more important and powerful.

Be kind.

We are all seeking the same things. Underneath every single human being on this planet, we are exactly the same and we all want the same things. Strip away all our differences, from our accents to our different skin tones to our disabilities and you will find we are all the same. At the core of all of us, we just want; validation and love. 

That project got me the photography award that year and a new level of respect from my photography teacher. However, my greatest joy was seeing viewers stop by my stand in the exhibition hall, fold thier arms across thier chests, study my pictures and then nod when they'd gotten the message. Seeing all those little nods from the other side of the hall and without them knowing I was watching, was and still is my greatest accomplishment.

I'll try to post my conclusion of that project one of these days and some of the photographs I took, but my message to you today is the same one I passed across three years ago through photography. Be kind, every person you meet, no matter how different, or bad, or terrible, just wants validation and love.  Like you.  

    A photographic portrait is a picture of   someone who knows he is being photographed. - Richard Avedon - 1933

Have a wonderful day beautiful people,

With all my love,

Dara Rhodes