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Toronto Portrait Photographer || HEARTshots || Black + White Photography

Memoirs and musings of Darius Bashar. Toronto portrait photographer and writer, in pursuit of all things real, raw and intimate. 

My Obsession: Hiding VS Being Seen

(If you’re interested in learning how the black and white portraits came to be, click here to read the full story.)

—> Every single person I photograph has two things in common.

Sure, on the surface we’re all unique. Different ethnicities, ages, genders, body types, upbringings, occupations and pretty much anything else you can imagine.

But there are two things that show up in every shoot I’ve ever done—no matter what the person looks like.

  1. Every person has a piece of themselves they desperately want to hide.

  2. Every person, to varying degrees, has a desire to be fully seen.

The contradiction between these two parts of ourselves creates a tension.

And that tension is my obsession. Because it exists in everybody.

My process as a photographer plays right at this crossroads. The part of us that wants to hide and be safe. And the part of us that is so sick and tired of hiding. This is where the magic happens.

And if you’re willing to take a risk, sit in the discomfort, and let people see you in a place of vulnerability and sincerity, you’ll walk away feeling stronger, lighter, and able to access more of yourself.

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)