My journey through the lens
A new chapter begins at 46
As a photographer, my journey has always been about connection—capturing the fleeting moments that embody the essence of human emotion and experience. After six years in photography, I have realized that photography is not merely about creating images but about narrating stories, encapsulating narratives, and forming bonds that transcend the confines of time and space.
In my early years, I followed a conventional path. University, a successful career in management, a life that could be labeled as 'normal.' Yet, something inside me yearned for more—the lure of an untraveled path, the appeal of the unknown, the call of a passion that had lain dormant. The call of photography.
Deciding to follow my heart and plunge into the world of photography wasn't easy. In the search for my identity as a photographer, and very often myself, I faced numerous struggles. And I still do. But with each struggle, I gained unforgettable experiences, formed relationships that changed my life, and stumbled upon a profound realization. My love for photography wasn't just about capturing beautiful images—it was about forming meaningful connections with people.
When I grab my camera, I enter another world, a realm where I am fully present and at peace with myself and my surroundings. Every shutter click is a search for myself, a journey of discovering who I am, and what I want to express through my images. Over the last six years, I've explored various approaches, but in the end, my photography boils down to one fundamental truth—it's about humans, by a human. I strive to tell the stories of the people I capture, to peel back the layers of their emotions, feelings, and experiences in that single moment when I press the shutter.
As I delved deeper into the world of portraiture, I understood that it was less about making everyone look glamorous and stylish, and more about capturing their unique dreams and aspirations. Each person has a story to tell, and through my photographs, I wanted to give them a voice. This realization led me to shift my focus towards capturing more authentic and emotion-filled moments, leading to the creation of unique series like 'The Moments,' 'Inked Declarations,' and 'The Story of Caithy‘s World.'
Each of these series represents a distinct aspect of my journey. 'The Moments' emphasizes the importance of living in the present, cherishing each moment as it comes. 'Inked Declarations' delves into the stories behind every tattoo, emphasizing the idea that each tattoo is a silent declaration, a piece of the soul expressed in indelible ink. 'The Story of Caithy' highlights the sensitivity, humanity, and artistry at the core of drag culture, challenging misconceptions and encouraging a deeper understanding of these remarkable artists.
The encounters I've had, like the ferry man on the Yamuna river, the people of Bali, Kadek in the rice fields, and every individual I've collaborated with in my portrait and boudoir photography, have left an indelible mark on my development as an artist and a human being. Every person, every moment, every experience has contributed a verse to the poem that is my life.
Just like when I press the shutter of my camera, the jump from the airplane opens up a sense of complete freedom and conscious presence. The sound of the wind surrounding my body, the fascinating perspective of the small world beneath me, the inner peace amidst adrenaline-fueling adventure - all of this enables me to reach a Zen-like serenity. These precious moments of silence, solitude, and freedom find their way into my photographs, where I relive these sensations.
Both in photography and in skydiving, I look for these moments of intense presence, where I completely lose myself in the experience and nothing else exists except this present moment. Both disciplines have taught me to respect and appreciate the present moment and taught me to lose myself entirely in it - an experience I like to share. After nearly 15 years and 2800 jumps, I feel a sense of melancholy as I can no longer enjoy this passion as before. Yet, I'm not sad because I find the same feelings in photography. It's just a new chapter, a new focus.
At 40, I sought the help of a therapist to heal from events of my past. She recommended channeling my feelings through an artistic outlet. I chose photography. I wanted to document my life, to leave a visual legacy that speaks of my journey, my emotions, my experiences. In this continuous journey of self-discovery and storytelling, my guiding principle has always been 'less is more.' By adopting a monochrome attitude, I reduce distractions and focus on the essence of the moment. I channel my creativity to play with available light, from a single lantern to a beamer, allowing me to focus more on the subject—the human.
Today, as I embark on a new chapter at 46, my dream is to continue telling stories through my photographs—stories filled with authenticity and emotions, stories of unique individuals on their journeys through life. I want to be a witness to unforgettable moments, to connect with people on a deeper level, to capture their true selves, and gift them a piece of art that inspires self-love, motivation, and provides a fresh energy. I am on a quest to create timeless art that outlives me, that serves as a testament to my journey and the countless lives that intertwined with mine.
As I turn the page to this new chapter, I vow to share more of what's on my mind, to inspire others, and pass on the knowledge I've accumulated over the years. I'm embarking on a quest to live more in the present, to treasure each moment, to be grateful for what I have achieved, and to have faith in the possibilities that lie ahead.
Join me on this journey as I continue to share my stories, experiences, and connections, all while striving to reveal the magical, eye-opening, and humbling process that lies at the heart of my photography.
Because in the end, every photograph is more than an image—it's a testament to the power of human connection
My journey through the lens:
A new chapter begins at 46
As a photographer, my journey has always been about connection: capturing the fleeting moments that embody the essence of human emotion and experience. After six years in photography, I have realized that photography is not just about creating images, but about telling stories, encompassing narratives and forming bonds that transcend the boundaries of time and space.
In my early years, I followed a conventional path. University, a successful career in management, a life that could be described as 'normal.' Yet something inside me longed for more: the appeal of an unfamiliar path, the attraction of the unknown, the call of a passion that had lain dormant. The call of photography.
The decision to follow my heart and plunge into the world of photography was not easy. In searching for my identity as a photographer, and very often for myself, I faced many challenges. And I still do. Yet with every challenge, I gained unforgettable experiences, formed relationships that changed my life, and reached a profound realization. My photography is not just about making beautiful images. It is about forming meaningful connections with people.
When I pick up my camera, I enter another world, a world in which I am fully present and can be at peace with myself and my surroundings. Every click of the shutter is a search for myself, a journey of discovering who I am and what I want to express through my images. Over the last six years, I have tried different approaches, but ultimately my photography comes down to one fundamental truth: it is about people, by a person. I try to tell the stories of the people I capture, to peel back the layers of their emotions, feelings and experiences in that one moment when I press the shutter.
As I delved deeper into portrait photography, I understood that it was less about making everyone look glamorous and stylish and more about capturing their unique dreams and aspirations. Every person has a story to tell, and through my photographs I wanted to give them a voice. This realization led me to shift my focus towards capturing more authentic and emotional moments, leading to the creation of unique series such as "The Moments", "Inked Declarations" and "The Story of Caithy".
Each of these series represents a distinct aspect of my journey. "The Moments" emphasizes the importance of living in the here and now, appreciating each moment as it comes. "Inked Declarations" delves into the stories behind every tattoo, emphasizing the idea that each tattoo is a silent declaration, a piece of the soul expressed in indelible ink. "The Story of Caithy" highlights the sensitivity, humanity and artistry at the heart of drag culture, challenges misconceptions and encourages a deeper understanding of these remarkable artists.
The encounters I have had, such as the ferryman on the Yamuna River, the people of Bali, Kadek in the rice fields, and every individual I have worked with in my portrait and boudoir photography, have left an indelible mark on my development as an artist and a human being. Every person, every moment, every experience has contributed a verse to the poem that is my life.
At 40, I sought the help of a therapist to heal from experiences in my youth / past. She recommended channeling my feelings through an artistic form of expression. I chose photography. I wanted to document my life, to leave a visual legacy that speaks of my journey, my emotions and my experiences.
On this continuous journey of self-discovery and storytelling, my guiding principle of 'less is more' became increasingly influential. By adopting a monochrome attitude, I reduced distractions and focused on the essence of the moment. I direct my creativity towards playing with available light, from a single lantern to a projector, allowing me to focus more on the subject: the human being.
Just like pressing the shutter of my camera, jumping out of an airplane opens up a sense of complete freedom and conscious presence. The sound of the wind surrounding my body, the fascinating perspective on the small world below me, the inner calm amidst the adrenaline-filled adventure: all of this allows me to reach a Zen-like serenity. These precious moments of silence, solitude and freedom find their way into my photographs, where I relive those sensations. Both in photography and in skydiving, I seek those moments of intense presence when I lose myself completely in the experience and nothing else exists except this present moment. Both disciplines have taught me to respect and appreciate the present moment and to lose myself entirely in it, an experience I like to share. After almost 15 years and 2,800 jumps, I feel wistful because I no longer enjoy this passion as often as before. Yet I am not sad, because I find the same feelings in photography. It is simply a new chapter, a new focus.
Today, as I begin a new chapter at 46, my dream is to continue telling stories through my photographs: stories full of authenticity and emotion, stories of unique individuals on their journeys through life. I want to witness unforgettable moments, connect with people on a deeper level, capture their true selves and give them a work of art that inspires self-love, provides motivation and brings fresh energy.
I am seeking to create timeless art that outlives me, that serves as a testament to my journey and the countless lives that have intertwined with mine.
As I turn the page to this new chapter, I vow to share more of what is on my mind, inspire others and pass on the knowledge I have accumulated over the years. I am setting out to live more in the present, appreciate every moment, be grateful for what I have achieved and have faith in the possibilities that lie ahead.
Join me on this journey as I continue to share stories, experiences and connections, always seeking to reveal the magical, eye-opening and humbling process at the heart of my photography:
Because in the end, every photograph is more than an image: it is a testament to the power of human connection.
