Julie Ng
Seeing Others, Seeing Ourselves
Seeing Others, Seeing Ourselves is a series about the busy lifestyle in Toronto. When someone asks “How are you?” do the phrases “super tired, “super busy,” or “crazy” sound familiar? As you walk along the streets of Toronto, people always have their heads down as they are either busy or in a rush. People are constantly juggling their workload, endless chores or have places to be and errands to run. Through this series of images, I hope to show the busy city life that consumes us, how it makes everyone unaware of their surroundings and to encourage people to slow down. I took images both outside on the streets, as well as in malls, including both close-up and wide-angle views with a slow shutter speed. After that, I layered multiple images together to show the hectic feeling and the speed of life.
I think people should explore more and slow down. It is important to be in the moment, be aware and notice our surroundings. Our lifestyle is so fast-paced that our ability to look around us and be present in the moment has been greatly diminished. Not only do I want to capture the hectic and busy lifestyle through different perspectives, I also want to challenge viewers to look beyond what I am trying to photograph. Photography has allowed me to observe these situations, and I hope these photographs encourage viewers to slow down and reflect on the moment.
Bio
Julie Ng was born and raised in Hong Kong and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. Her work deals with themes of identity, the human experience and personal memories. She enjoys working in a variety of mediums, alternating between analogue and digital formats. Julie recently completed a project using cyanotypes and is interested in exploring other mediums and techniques.