⟢ Ordinary Haunting

I didn’t start dragging myself out of bed at 5:15 a.m. because I suddenly became a morning person or because I enjoy hearing the alarm. I started because I realized there was a version of the city that existed only before everyone else woke up. It was quieter. Stranger. I wasn’t a nurse practitioner, a daughter, or responsible for solving other people’s problems. I was just a photographer driving through a sleeping city, looking for stories hidden in ordinary places.

I wanted to stop waiting until I had more free time, more experience, more travel. The illustrious perfect time. I realized that early morning was the only time where the world felt the way I wanted it to. Empty streets. Artificial lights. Very few people. Quiet instead of demanding.

I wanted a reason to get out and make photos regularly. I realized that documenting a consistent project could be more meaningful than chasing individual “good photographs”. Go take pictures became go out every morning and see what the world offers me.

I spend my days taking care of others. I wanted two hours where nobody needed anything from me. I wanted something that belonged to only me.

I started getting up at 5:15 a.m. to find a place where my own mind could finally be a little quieter. Within empty streets, artificial light, and gradual sunrise is where I happened to find it.