During the COVID-19 lockdown, life slowed down and so did my camera. As a street and documentary photographer, I was used to chasing stories in crowds, chaos and motion. Suddenly, I was surrounded by silence, still walls and empty rooms. At first, I felt lost, until I noticed the way evening light sliced through the shutters, painting golden lines on a plain yellow wall. I picked up my camera again, not to document the world outside but to rediscover the world within.
This image is a quiet moment of renewal, not just of creativity but of vision and spirit. In the absence of people, I found presence. In familiar corners of my home, I began to see rhythm, color and emotion I had overlooked for years. The light became a metaphor, soft yet certain, reminding me that even in dark times, there is a promise of return, of healing, of transformation.
This image is a visual testament to how difficult times can awaken a deeper connection to self and surroundings. It captures the subtle power of hope, the quiet strength of stillness and the belief that beauty never disappears, it just waits to be seen again. That, to me, is the essence of renewal.
