Some days ago, I stumbled upon a random blog. In the blog, the writer described how he uses photography to connect with people – old, young, male, female, people who speak his language and people who don’t. I must say I had some kind of enlightenment. Suddenly I see, that is exactly what photography should be about.

Shamefully, I have been using my camera to do just about the opposite. Over time, it has become my shield and my mask. I shoot and then I move away. Sometimes I take pictures of people hastily because I don’t want them to catch me photographing them. These pictures often suck.

On the other hand, I stop and smile at subjects if they’re kids or cats. Hell, I would even turn the camera so they can see their pictures on the screen. Yes, even to the cats. And yes, I talk to the cats. These pictures are often better.

I don’t know what it is about people that scare me. But I want things to change. Like the writer, I want to use photography to connect.

Because like Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” I can never speak every language in the world, but there is one universal language everyone speaks – body language. I want to use my actions to make a difference in my life, and hopefully in someone else’s too.