I.
Recently, my wife asked me to create a content portfolio for her. When someone we trust asks us to step into a new role, it’s less about self-expression and more about answering a need; this gave me a different perspective on what creative work can be. Growth often begins with saying yes, even if we don’t fully know what we’re getting into.
II.
Not long after, a close friend, foodie and blogger told me that my lifestyle images are among my strongest work. I had missed this myself. Her comment, dropped into a conversation over coffee and laughter, caught me off guard and got me thinking differently about what I should be doing.
Honest, well-timed feedback from those who know us can illuminate possibilities we haven’t seen.
III.
For a while, I imagined that building community meant formal things like starting a salon or getting involved with NGOs. But the serendipity of a partner’s commission and a friend’s candid feedback reminded me that connection can spring up anywhere. Maybe it starts with a conversation, a favour or an unplanned collaboration. The trick, I’m learning, is to stay open—to new people, new roles, and the accidental communities that form when you least expect them.
In the Spotlight
On assignment with T, I found myself dancing around the quick deals and easy banter of Singapore’s fresh produce traders at Tekka Market. Here, every transaction is a kind of performance, played at speed. There’s no room for hesitation: if you can’t bargain, you’ll pay for the lesson.
I prefer not to disrupt the lively choreography with my flash. Instead, I lean into the natural shadows and ambient light, letting a high ISO and a good portrait lens do the work. One moment, a student tries to barter carrots for tomatoes and is gently rebuffed. The next, the butchers, unhurried and sharp-eyed, grant me a little space for a close-up—hands moving with fluidity that never pauses.
As I work through the market, I become less a stranger and more accepted; by the time I reach the fishmongers, they’re already game. To get these images requires one to observe, develop rapport, and allow oneself to be folded into the market’s rhythms.
Lunch is a quiet moment at May’s Cafe, with Kopi O and a Danbury bowl. Later, when the heat on Arab Street is thick enough to chew, I find myself at Black Sheep & Co, decaf in hand, reflecting on how community isn’t always a grand gesture.
Question for You
How do you build community or socialise as part of your creative practice? How about sharing your thoughts in the comment section; or just hit reply and let me know what you think, say ‘hi’ or anything else that pops into your mind!
Warmly,
Johan du Preez
Artist