Advice to Young Photographers (and Afropolitans)

You must have something to “say”. You must be brutally honest with yourself about this. Think about history , politics, science, literature, music, film, and anthropology. What affects does one discipline have over another? What makes “man” tick? Today , with everyone being able to easily make technically perfect photographs with a cell phone, you need to be an “author”. It is all about authorship, authorship and authorship. Many young photographers come to me and tell me their motivation for being a photographer is to “travel the world” or to “make a name” for themselves. Wrong answers in my opinion. Those are collateral incidentals or perhaps even the disadvantages of being a photographer. Without having tangible ideas , thoughts, feelings, and something almost “literary” to contribute to “the discussion”, today’s photographer will become lost in the sea of mediocrity. Photography is now clearly a language. As with any language, knowing how to spell and write a gramatically correct “sentence” is , of course, necessary. But, more importantly, today’s emerging photographers now must be “visual wordsmiths” with either a clear didactic or an esoteric imperitive. Be a poet, not a technical “writer”. Perhaps more simply put, find a heartfelt personal project. Give yourself the “assignment” you might dream someone would give you. Please remember, you and only you will control your destiny. Believe it, know it, say it.

 David Alan Harvey from Wear Good Shoes: Advice to young photographers

I am not necessarily a “young” photographer, but Harvey’s message about having something to say, about being an author not a technician deeply resonates with me. I started this blog offline just for myself a few years ago because as a photographer I was very disenchanted with my output which said nothing about me as a globalized African. I’ve been trying to find my own unique viewpoint (what to say) by exploring Africa’s visual culture as well as the politics, history, music and art which underlies it. Along the way I’ve learnt so much about Africa and its diaspora as well as about other Afropolitans who are on a similar journey for various reasons. I’ve become a more aware person, more comfortable in this hybrid existence I live. It’s also made me better understand what photographs I want to make and why, lack of results notwithstanding.