Sawubona Magazine features Michelle Wastie in a deeply personal reflection on her documentary photography practice. In Essence of Truth, she explores the connections she forms with her subjects and the beauty she finds in the human struggle.
"I do what I do because I connect deeply with people. The documentary genre of photography is closest to my heart. I document people in their respective environments and capture aspects of them that define who they are. Through my interaction with them I illuminate the beauty I see."
"There are many different realities in this world and many different ways to experience this life. My interactions spanning from moments of the glitz and glam of the First World to the utter desolation of the developing world has allowed for a deeper understanding of the texture of life."
"My own experience has taught me that pain shapes the soul. The people depicted in these scenes all suffer in varying degrees across different elements of life. I see tremendous beauty in this struggle to live. I don't believe any one experience is more or less valuable regardless of the labels we tend to attach to them, whether negative or positive, fortunate or unfortunate. Life has a way of bringing incredible blessings through the hardships we endure, to teach us and shape us beyond our initial, superficial interpretation."
"Each image and connection has shaped a part of my being and defined an aspect of who I am. Being present in an unedited, raw and honest space is the privilege my occupation affords me and an experience I regard as sacred."
"Some of the work showcased here is a contribution I've made to Hospice for the invaluable and expert care the caregivers gave my mother in the final days of her fight against cancer. They gifted her a dignified passing and gifted my family the opportunity to spend precious, lucid time with her. It was an honour to learn about the value Hospice adds to countless people's lives. The awareness I gained of their daily struggles helps me live a more meaningful life."
"Life through the lens is a truly blessed way to live."
"It is true that we shall not be able to reach perfection, but in our struggle toward it, we shall strengthen our characters and give stability to our ideas so that, while ever advancing calmly in the same direction, we shall be rendered capable of applying the faculties with which we have been gifted to the best possible account."
— Confucius (c. 551–479 BC)
