It’s been a little while since I last posted here.
Part of that absence came from something I’ve struggled with for years: being torn between two photographic instincts. One is fast and instinctive, shot in the moment, without overthinking. The other is quiet and intentional, shaped slowly over time, with a sense of stillness and care.
I kept feeling I had to choose between the two, and in the process, I never fully gave either one the time or trust it needed.
This space, My Visual Diary, is where that changes.
I’m returning with a clearer sense of purpose. To embrace both sides of my practice and let them coexist.
My work now flows between two modes, each distinct, but connected:
The Daily Practice
This is the spontaneous side of my work. Black and white images made quickly, instinctively, often during the in-between moments of daily life. They’re unplanned, unpolished; visual fragments collected on walks, in passing glances, in small observations that don’t leave me alone.
These photographs are raw, textured, and often leaning into shadow and abstraction. They’re not made to be perfect. They’re made to be honest. This is how I stay connected to the world around me and to myself.
This newsletter is a place to share those images. Loosely sequenced, sometimes with writing, sometimes without. A visual diary in the truest sense.
The Long Work
Alongside that daily rhythm, there’s another part of my practice that moves at a slower pace. Projects that take shape gradually, made through repeated visits, careful composition, and time.
These works are more sculpted. Some are landscape-based. Others explore still life, portraits, or symbolic forms. Most are black and white, though one is quietly entering into muted colour, but only where the subject demands it.
I won’t be naming these projects here just yet as they’re still forming. But I’ll share glimpses when it feels right. Field notes, fragments, thoughts on the process of making something that isn’t fast, and doesn’t need to be.
Together, these two sides of my work, the spontaneous and the considered, form something whole.
Words will appear here too. Sometimes in the form of reflections or short essays, sometimes as loose poetic fragments that run alongside the images. Writing is not separate from the photographs, but another way of making sense of what I see and feel.
If you’re here reading, thank you! Especially if you’ve been quietly following until now.
This is not a blog. It’s not content. It’s a record of a practice, one image, one moment, one thought at a time. Sometimes reactive. Sometimes sculpted. Always made with intent.
I’m glad to be back. Let’s begin again.
– Kalum
Love this! Excited to see what’s coming