The Happiness project

Where light and the atmosphere collide on film.

[joshstewart35mm]

Who are you? That's the question that has been asked of me many times in the last few months. It hasn't been aimed directly at me, but rather asked of me in a more indirect way. I have had a voice in my head screaming it at me sometimes, and at other times it's felt like a little person has been crouched on my shoulder whispering it in my ear incessantly. At first I would stammer and stutter trying to justify who I thought I was for fear of being found wanted. Most of us are often so afraid of stating who we believe we are for fear of falling short of societies twisted plumb-line. I am not the person I was 6 months ago, I am completely different. I am more relaxed, happy, confident, creative, inspired and myself than ever before. I think that one of the reasons is that I found an answer to the question. The answer is simple, I am a son of God.

[joshstewart35mm]

Beauty is a non-word; its meaning has been lost much like that of our value for nature. Western culture refers to concrete jungles as true beauty, mechanical Goliath’s roam the earth while the growing generations pause and marvel at their perceived beauty. The natural becomes unnatural when our perception of beauty becomes inverted. Breast implants, Botox, lipo-suction, face-lifts, people will do anything to be perceived as more beautiful. How is it that we find it acceptable to call one type of person beautiful and another not. Every single person is beautiful as they were created in the image of God. I often page through magazines with my girlfriend and admire the beauty found in the pages. In my mind, I don’t look to the beauty of that person but the beauty of creation and artistic flare. True beauty is that which lies within one’s soul. External beauty fades, but even till dying days can the beauty of a loved one’s soul be seen. I love this picture as it captures two contrasting beauties, that of a human being and that of a concrete jungle. Humans are beautiful creatures, but once we die our beauty is lost for our souls are no longer present. Durban is a living breathing creature, it’s dead, concrete structures are brought to life with an inhabitation of creators made in the image of the creator. Let us begin to admire the beauty that lies in each one of us, let us begin to value the people giving life to a city and redeem that which has died. I believe God has called us to redeem all things and I feel a part of that is calling out the beauty in others. Admire beauty where ever you see it, whether it’s a good jaw-line or a funny punch-line, admire Gods creation with awe-filled wonder.

[pixielatedpixels]

[lensblr-network]

DUMBO Cobblestones

Old train tracks run through this previously industrial area of Brooklyn known as DUMBO where the streets are still made up of “Belgian Blocks" The Brooklyn Bridge can just be seen at the far end of the street

Click here and visit my main web site at Pixielated Pixels where a huge collection of my images can be found to view and purchase in many diverse sizes, formats and price ranges.

by Chris Lord  (pixielatedpixels.tumblr.com)

[joshstewart35mm]

Wow love this!!

[chrisburkard]

Not all the wild is tamed. Find those places and enjoy them.

[joshstewart35mm]

Today I became a delivery boy in Durban’s city centre; I was dropping off raffle tickets for CANSA. Growing up as a boy, town was a place I had never really set foot in, apart from the occasional shopping mission with my mother. I used to psych myself up in preparation for these trips, as my perception of the Durban city centre was a deep, dark jungle full of traps and snares. Only since the beginning of this year have I realised that Durban’s city centre was anything but this.

The perception had changed after I walked the city with my best friend Dylan Royal and Richard ‘SchaffMoney’ Schaffer. We set out to capture the city on our cameras, where Durban changed from being a dark dangerous jungle to a beautiful garden full of exquisite colours, cultures and spices. So this morning when I read through my list of delivery points around the city centre, I smiled, looking forward to roaming the city streets and being part of this busy humdrum that is the heart of Durban.

Amazingly enough, if you spend some time walking around Durban’s centre like I did this morning, you begin to realize that not every taxi driver has an AK-47 and that you probably won’t get stabbed for your Super Moo. To be honest I feel that it’s quite the opposite. I have never felt safer walking between deliveries with wads of cash, soaking in the beautiful surroundings. People blame our city’s crime and deterioration on the poverty and lack of efficient governance. Walking through the shadows of restored ex-colonial facades, I had to stop and ask whether the blame rather fell on the rich upper class who fear to set foot on these beautiful streets I so proudly love to tread. I have a dream to see my home become known as the beautiful vibrant City that I have come to know.

[joshstewart35mm]

Photography gives artists the ability to freeze time and in a thousandth of a second capture a moment which the naked eye cannot perceive. I hunger for moments that show the emotion and inner beauty of a person, by capturing a frame where they take their mask off and just be who they are. We are all beautiful.  Within the depths of every single persons heart is a raw beauty that they keep to themselves, its instances where I can capture a person’s beauty that I search for. I believe we are going to see a generation rise up that shows their inner beauty to the rest of the world unashamedly. Fashion photography for me is something more than just beautiful girls and fashionable clothes. I see fashion photography as a combination of artistic creativity and idealistic fantasy.

[joshstewart35mm]

When people speak of Durban they talk about the amazing Stadium, beaches, shopping mall, etc but they never manage to mention Durbans best kept secret. For me nothing can compare to the CBD, where the real people of Durban come in and out of on their way to work and to shop. My dream is to one day live in the CBD. To the city center of Durban revived to a vibrant hustle and bustle of business and pleasure with black, white, Indian and Asian people all dwelling together in harmony. To see this city veins pump with blood as it's heart begins to beat again in harmony with the rest of it's body.

[joshstewart35mm]

“I see life in angles, in lines of perspective, the slight turn of the head, a blink of an eye. Subtle glimpses of magic other folk might pass by. Cameras help me translate, interpret and understand what I see. It’s a simple act that keeps me grinning. I never set out to be anything in particular, only to live creatively and push the scope of my experience, for adventure and for passion”.

Mickey Smith

[joshstewart35mm]

I see life in angles, in glimpses, in moments of brilliance that I set out to capture on film. I feel its the best medium for capturing the essence of life. film has a natural texture and grain, that no amount of technology can replicate.

  |Minolta SRT100X|