When I first picked up photography as a hobby, I had no idea how important a role it would become in my life.

It was easy to get into. My dad would let me borrow some of his gear while we went for hikes through local trails and forests, where we shared thoughts and got excited about the lighting conditions and subjects of interest in the surrounding nature. We got exercise, learned more about photography, and bonded over something we both cared about. Sometimes, when I needed to clear my head, I would go off on my own short walks to a nearby reservoir and use photography to recenter myself. 

My interest in photography continued when I moved to Toronto, as I was surrounded by peers from my Film Studies program who also enjoyed pointing cameras at things. The biggest caveat was a limited access to nature and time, so taking my camera out became more of a chore. I still managed to get out once in awhile but it was not sparking the same enjoyment as it had initially. 

Cut to several years, a few travel opportunities, and an ongoing pandemic later, I found myself completely uninspired to take photos. Isolating through waves of lockdowns made me uncomfortable with leaving the house and I figured nobody would care to see how many angles of houseplants and coffee mugs I could shoot.

Unless…?

I managed to bring back some creativity when I revisited and reimagined some photos from my trip to Iceland but lost that momentum quite quickly as I ran into mental blocks and battles with imposter syndrome.

Throughout 2021 I made an attempt to take photos, even if it was just with my phone. I needed to cut the excuses and stop worrying about how my photos would be received, because my personal standards were withholding a main element for my love of photography. 

Learning is a driving force in my life. Trying without fear of failure, developing new skills, and slowly watching myself progress over time has been a major part of my day-to-day happiness. Having relied on school as a primary learning environment that I was no longer part of, I found it hard to push myself to go out in the world and be content with failure - with learning. 

Enter Ben.

Ben has become a good friend of mine and he has been a large inspiration to me. This past year, Ben has picked up film photography and put out some incredible work.

Discussing photography and setting out to explore the city with Ben has made me want to experiment with new subject matters, push my abilities, and pursue even more in the world of photography. His natural ability to tell stories and show a unique perspective in his images has motivated me to do something I had not done for some time - to have fun with photography.

Making photos and sharing them with people makes me happy, but having fun in the process is what makes it such an integral part of my life. So don’t forget to have fun!

Check out Ben’s work on his instagram!