I Didn't Plan This

"I Didn’t Plan This" started with renting a studio, feeling like I needed to leave something behind in that space, so I invited the people closest to me. In the past, I always planned everything, thinking, “This is how it should be,” but this time, I just

"I Didn’t Plan This" started with renting a studio, feeling like I needed to leave something behind in that space, so I invited the people closest to me. In the past, I always planned everything, thinking, “This is how it should be,” but this time, I just let it flow.

When they walked in, I was nervous. The closer someone was to me, the more I felt I had to get it right, like I had to prove something. But I let them be who they were. We talked, laughed about light memories, and there were words left unsaid. I just captured their silent expressions.

As I went through the photos, familiar faces started to feel unfamiliar. Emotions that hadn’t been spoken were still there, and distances had formed that hadn’t been addressed.

The words in the diptych came from the photos. Some memories were clear, some emotions were blurry. But in those faces, I saw moments that made me stronger.

Perhaps this isn’t a record of me photographing them, but a record of the time they shaped me.

I didn’t plan it, but it remained. And through these faces, I started to look at myself for a little longer.