How would you respond to those who say that yoga should only ever be a personal practice and therefore should not be photographed? Yoga should be whatever
anyone wants and needs it to be for themselves. If you gain insight, perspective and a higher state of consciousness from doing humanitarian work then that is what you should be doing. Gosh, if you gain it from running naked through the streets, then that is what you should be doing! Taking photos of asanas has put me in a position of bearing witness to some harsh opinions from people who, well, have harsh opinions. I feel it is dangerous to have strong opinions about people or situations that you do not have a complete insight into, because that is not a true opinion, but a judgment. These photos are a collaboration of hard work, dedication, art, fun and life. If people cannot see that in the images, that is their loss.
Do you take photos for others, or for yourself? I take them for myself 99% of the time. I really, really love taking pictures. I live and breathe photography, it is my tool and my path, the still image captivates my soul. The other 1% is motivated by a need to make a living, but I wouldn’t suggest photography as a career to anyone who wants to make money! Passion is the only thing that makes it worthwhile. What do you want your viewers to take from your work? Like yoga, I want them to take from it what-
ever they need. Motivation, inspiration, even confusion or disagreement. Whatever they are taking from it is precisely what they need to be taking.
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