life

🌍 Slowing Down in a Fast World

cambodia, cameras, fujifilm, homelessness, Lenses, nikon, opinons, thoughts, photography, street, Travel

Introduction

We live in an age of acceleration. News cycles refresh by the minute, feeds scroll endlessly, and even creativity is pressured to produce faster, louder, more. Yet in the midst of this speed, there is value in slowing down — in reclaiming attention, rediscovering meaning, and reconnecting with the world around us.

The Case for Slowness

  • Depth over breadth: When everything is consumed quickly, little is truly absorbed. Slowness allows us to linger, to notice details.
  • Presence over distraction: Slowing down means being present — whether in conversation, in work, or in art.
  • Sustainability over burnout: Constant speed drains energy. Slowness restores balance, making creativity and living sustainable.

Rediscovery Through Attention

  • Objects: Everyday things reveal character when looked at closely — a weathered wall, a hand‑written note, a shadow at dusk.
  • People: Listening deeply, rather than rushing to respond, uncovers nuance in relationships.
  • Places: Streets, parks, and cities hold layers of history and atmosphere that only patience can reveal.
  • Returning again and again: Revisiting the same subject or place allows new layers to emerge. Each return reframes the familiar, showing how time and perspective reshape vision.

Reclaiming Vision

  • Against noise: Slowness cuts through distraction, sharpening what matters.
  • For clarity: It allows us to see not just what is in front of us, but what lies beneath.
  • As practice: Slowness is not passive — it is an active choice to resist speed and reclaim vision.

Using Technology When It’s Useful

  • Tool, not master: Technology should serve attention, not dictate it.
  • Selective use: Embrace tools that extend vision — editing software, digital archives, or cameras — but resist the pull of endless feeds.
  • Balance: The slow archive doesn’t reject technology; it uses it deliberately, when it amplifies meaning rather than dilutes it.
  • Agency: Choosing when and how to use technology is part of reclaiming vision in a fast world.

Harnessing Speed to Anticipate

  • Machine as ally: Cameras and devices can operate faster than human reflexes.
  • Anticipation: Using burst modes, predictive autofocus, or rapid shutter speeds allows the photographer to anticipate and catch fleeting gestures.
  • Integration: Slowness is about vision, but speed is about execution — together they form a rhythm of patience and precision.
  • Lesson: Technology’s speed is not about rushing; it is about being ready when the moment arrives.

Conclusion

Slowing down is not about rejecting progress. It is about reclaiming agency in how we see, feel, and create. Technology can be part of that process — but only when it is useful, intentional, and aligned with vision. Returning to a subject or place over and over again reminds us that meaning is not found in novelty alone, but in patience, repetition, and rediscovery. And when the decisive moment comes, the speed of a machine can help anticipate and capture it — ensuring vision and execution meet.

Verdict: Slow down, return often, use tools wisely, harness speed — and the world reveals itself anew.

Phnom Penh Wanderings: Friendship Beyond Fear

cambodia, cameras, homelessness, Lenses, nikon, opinons, thoughts, photography, street, Travel

🌍 Off the Tourist Trail

Phnom Penh is often imagined through its riverside promenades, temples, and expat cafés. Yet the city’s essence lies in the places foreigners rarely visit — the narrow lanes, bustling wet markets, and everyday neighbourhoods where life unfolds unfiltered. Many outsiders avoid these areas, guided by fear or unfamiliarity, but for me, wandering them has become a favorite pastime.

🤝 Encounters of Humanity

Each walk brings moments of connection: vendors offering smiles, children waving with delight, neighbours curious yet welcoming. Far from the imagined hostility, I find warmth and joy. The people are happy to see me, not because I am foreign, but because I am present — willing to share space in their daily rhythm.

🕊️ Reframing Fear

The absence of foreigners in these areas is telling. Fear shapes perception, but reality often contradicts it. By stepping into overlooked corners, I discover not danger but dignity, not hostility but hospitality. The narrative of fear dissolves into lived experience of trust.

✨ Lessons in Wandering

  • Authenticity: The richest encounters happen away from curated tourist zones.
  • Humanity: Warmth and friendliness are constants, even in places outsiders avoid.
  • Perspective: Fear blinds us to beauty; presence reveals it.

📸 Closing Reflection

Wandering Phnom Penh’s less‑visited areas is more than exploration — it is an act of trust. It reminds me that ambiguity and absence are not voids to fear, but spaces where meaning emerges. In the overlooked corners of the city, I find friendship, resilience, and the quiet joy of human connection.

In Cambodia, the simple act of offering a Khmer greeting — the sampeah — carries deep cultural weight. Whether you meet a child, an elder, or someone in between, pressing your palms together and bowing slightly is seen not just as politeness, but as a gesture of respect and friendship.

✨ I have noticed — that people light up when greeted in their own language — is a reminder of how small acts of cultural recognition dissolve barriers. It’s not about being fluent; it’s about showing you care enough to step into their world.