Hummingbirds
When I graduated from SAIT with a Diploma of Journalism in 2013, my parents gave me a book, Flight of the Hummingbird. It tells a story of a raging fire threatening a forest, where animals of all shapes and sizes flee the wall of flames. Every animal, from the bear to the eagle, lamented on their helplessness in the face of such a tragedy and each proclaimed why it was hopeless to try and fight the fire. Throughout this, a single hummingbird flew from the river, carrying a bead of water in its tiny beak and dropped it on the towering inferno. The bird repeated this until the other animals asked why the hummingbird was doing this, to which it replied. “I’m doing what I can”.
Since 2013, I have been drawn to places where fires burn, and stories of resilience are commonplace. It is hard to describe exactly why, but there is a sense of purpose I have on documenting and telling stories that hold such consequences to those who live these situations. I want my work not to glorify violence or suffering, but to humanize conflict and unrest. Most importantly, I document these events so that no one can say “We never knew”.
Clinical policy analysis has its place in understanding and solving conflict and unrest but there’s value in storytelling and documenting the lives of everyday people. As a photographer my purpose is to capture moments that put a human face to such enigmatic places like North Korea, or tragic events like the ISIS invasion of Iraq. Too often these places are spoken about in broad and vague way that ignores the reality that people like you and me live through such events. A single photograph, whether a human face, a striking landscape, or a tender moment, can do much to change public perception of places oversimplified by today’s fast-paced media cycle.
When people often think of the ISIS war, the image of a man shooting an AK in some far away land often comes to mind. For me, it is the defiant look of a girl flashing the ‘V for Victory’ sign after the liberation of Mosul. I want to show people that in some of the worst times and places there is hope, resilience, and kindness. It is truly an honour to witness and share their stories.
Whether natural calamity or manmade horrors, to witness the resiliency of people who live through these events has been nothing short of humbling. Telling the stories of these people gives me a purpose and passion that only comes when I am with my camera and telling a story. Photography bridges that divide from those places to here at home. It brings new eyes and ideas to topics that more of us should be invested in.
I do not have the solutions to the world’s problems and never claimed to, I am just doing what I can. My hope is that a photo of mine catches the eye of someone who might have a solution, or to inspire someone to think differently about a place like Iraq or North Korea. The issues facing Canada and the world today are daunting, and solutions may seem impossible. There are many reasons why it is easier to look away and go on with our lives, but to be an eyewitness makes us all hummingbirds. We may be small on our own but gather enough of them together and that forest fire does not seem so hopeless anymore.
