Earlier today, I suddenly felt the urge to write to someone who has been quite instrumental to my development as a photographer and as a person of character. I recall, back in 2017, I asked him what Camera he would recommend because his photographs were amazing. He isn’t a Fine Art or Landscape photographer, but his photographs were very powerful, especially to a struggling guy like me. He accompanied his photos with powerful captions that made me realize so much about ideals, how I live and how I see things. Beyond the technical and aesthetic, he was, I would say, the most instrumental figure that got me into shooting in Black and White. It wasn’t about art nor about technique. It was about substance and ideals—two powerful tools of character that can build a person.

I recall, at that point in my life, before cameras and lenses, I only used my mobile phone along with thoughts in my head; trying to use photographs and words together to bring about a powerful message—and it was best captured with Black and White. From then on I started switching my method to monochrome, even on mobile. It was the dawn of a new persona; it would be my fourth skin, after shedding the third; and who would've known it would be the turning point that would propel me to where I am now.

His influence has never been personal, but more ideal; something I always take to heart. To receive a response from him that there is power in my photos meant so much and he will always be one of the greatest influences to my persona. And with that, I leave you with a quote from him just a few days ago:

"Desire maintains a continuous relationship with capability. It is often unbalanced. Much dissatisfaction with performance stems from this lack of equilibrium. When I started work on [my book] I was not capable of making the book I wanted: my desire was not in tune with my ability.

To accomplish what I wanted I had to become the man who could do it, which meant I had to learn, to change, and to nudge capability closer to potential."

— Mark Twight

Thanks for reading.