I always want to be there for the people I care about, but I can’t help but feel like my hands are tied and I can’t fix anything and I’m drowning in my own misery. It’s almost as if everything is chosen for me, like fate or destiny, and it drags me down and I…
I had to put the challenge on hold to travel with my sister. She had to do a week of training in a hospital in Dresden, Germany (she’s a med student) and I went with her to keep her company. Although I spent most of my time in our hotel room, I did manage to…
Lately, I’ve been so in love with shooting portraits. Which might be a little strange, considering that with my conceptual work I tend to hide faces. I separate the two because I’ve always felt like with conceptual images it should be about the story, not what the person looks like. I almost have two different…
My computer died. I have everything backed up but for about 4 days I did not know what to do with my life. I couldn’t edit, update my blog, or do any work. It’s crazy that our whole lives depend on those machines. I’ll spare you the details of the painful recovery process (recovering my…
I love ballet. I love all things soft, delicate, and feminine. I recently watched a video by Sue Bryce about shooting dance style portraits, and wanted to try it myself. I wanted to see if I can pose girls who aren’t dancers in a way that would make them look like they are. Because really, what…
Back in December, Hasselblad sent me a camera to try. I had the H5D-50C, and two lenses: HC 50II MM and HC 80MM. It was absolutely amazing to use. The sound of the shutter alone is just.. ahhh. Okay I won’t gush too much. I planned out a series of images specifically to create with that…
If tomorrow never comes, would I feel like I’ve lived my life the best way I can? Did I do enough? Did I tell people how much I love them, did I change someone’s life to the better, did I influence anyone. Did I make a difference? Today is one of those days where I…
We don’t have to be in a negative state of mind to be able to create. Over the past few weeks, I struggled so much with that. I didn’t want to create something that doesn’t feel genuine or isn’t a part of me, but at the same time I was dying to create. I used…
Read more You don’t have to live the life of a tortured artist
A few days ago, my therapist told me that I am no longer considered clinically depressed. I am a former depressive. I’m in remission. The medication and therapy is now only to prevent relapse. I’ve been in therapy for exactly 11 months, on medication for 10. It’s been a long and exhausting journey, but a…
In our society, if you’re in your mid-twenties or older, and you’re not married yet, then you’re damaged goods. My model wishes to remain anonymous, but she gave me permission to share her story: She is almost 30 years old. She went through two engagements. She got divorced before she even started her marriage. To…
Amani AlShaali 