@jaadee 24 May 2025 more from that month

Looking Into Light: Thoughts From a Photographer My name is Jade. I'm a photographer and an artist. A freelancer. Sometimes I shoot, sometimes I paint, sometimes I just observe. To me, it's all the same practice — to notice, to listen, to be still.

I don’t go out looking for images. I wait for them to arrive. That’s the difference. I’m not chasing perfect light — I simply know how it behaves throughout the day. Sometimes it’s a reflection in a puddle, a shadow on the wall, or the way someone tilts their head mid-conversation. That’s already art. My work exists in the pause between the outer world and the inner one. When I take a photo, it’s like I step aside and let the moment be what it is. It’s the same with painting. Line, color, shape — they’re not just technical things, they’re about honesty. About truly seeing. I never planned on being a freelancer. But it happened, and no agency has ever offered the kind of freedom I feel when I open my laptop on a balcony or edit photos while sitting on the floor of an old house. This life is unpredictable, yes. But there’s space in it. Clients vary. Some ask for portraits, others for cover illustrations. Sometimes people reach out simply to ask, “Can you create a visual story to go with this text?” That’s how I ended up working on a series of visual materials forRespinCl. The theme was unfamiliar at first, but the project turned out to be surprisingly calm. No rush. No rigid briefs. Just trust in my perspective. I love when someone gives you room to create. When they understand that visual language is a language too. People often tell me my photos are quiet. That “nothing happens” in them. I don’t argue. Sometimes, “nothing” is the most important thing. It’s not about emptiness. It’s about attention. I don’t separate the personal from the professional. I live what I do, and I do what I live. In the morning, I might be shooting. In the afternoon, writing. In the evening, just watching the way light moves through my room. Sometimes that’s work. Sometimes it’s just breathing. I’m not chasing recognition. I don’t need my work in galleries. If someone looks at a photo, pauses for even a moment, and feels a little bit of stillness — then it was worth it. If you’re reading this, maybe you’re searching for space too. Or light. Or just a moment to stop. Let it find you. Let it find us