ÔNG NỘI ƠI - DAWSON VIẾT VỀ NHIẾP ẢNH NÈ

Life goes by extremely fast, it’s my job to slow it down. One of the most captivating ideas is how I can freeze a moment of history onto a still photo and save that exact moment to share with the world. Photography is an art form, and whether I am trying to portray a powerful message in my photos, or simply capturing a special second of a story, I have an entire lifetime to delve into the versatility of this art form. The beginning of my photography story begins with my grandfather, who opened up a photo studio in a small city in Vietnam. Ultimately, my passion for photography was passed down to my father, who in turn handed the torch to me. Because of my grandfather, my entire family became an essential part of our little town, documenting special occasions or taking headshots of someone for their job interview. Surrounded by this environment, I quickly learned how important a photographer’s role is in society because, without us, the moments we share will be nothing but foggy thoughts lost in our heads. I spent most of my life following my dad, watching him trying to get everyone together for a group photo. “Ky niem” he says, meaning “for memories.” Naturally, I was obsessed with doing everything the exact same as my dad at a very young age. My earliest memories as a child consisted of desperate attempts of gaining his approval out of everything I did, and when I couldn't get his validation, it always left me with an empty feeling in my stomach. As I grow older, I learn that there was some sort of cultural dissonance leading my dad to remain emotionally distant from me, as his father was to him. However, as soon as I see his photos I immediately recognize that he has plenty to say, with all of his bottled-up stories he depicts as still images. At that moment I knew of an outlet to not just connect with my father but to give myself to express my own emotion, and that is through photography. Our connection has never been the strongest verbally, but we shared an unspoken language; our love for photography. The amazing thing about taking photos is that although there are millions of different languages that are spoken today on this earth, a photograph can convey the same story to every one of them. One of the most fascinating forms of photography is street photography, which is mainly using abstract points of view, photographing interesting sights across the city – including people. Much like every other form of art, the best way to improve your photography is through failure. The idea of photographing strangers in a public setting is painfully overwhelming, which is no surprise most people often quit on their first few attempts. Street photography serves as a perfect analogy to the lesson that I’ve learned while working in this field; no matter how discouraging your path may get, continue to work because there is always somebody who will appreciate your creation. The best feeling in the world is seeing the joy in the eyes of my peers after they see themselves in one of my photographs. With a press of a button, a meaningful moment of theirs is captured. Whether it’s a varsity football player scoring the game-winning touchdown or a striving new rap artist throwing his first-ever concert, they can look back on the things they did in their younger days. Most of our days in high school have been overlooked or forgotten, the pictures that we take are all we will have left to reminisce about in the next 10 years. As a photographer that has worked with such a diverse group of individuals, I have learned that my work plays such a short role in their lives, but within that work is something that will be remembered forever.