What else photograpy means to me...

Since I can remember I have suffered from severe social anxiety. This means I get very anxious around strangers. Public places, public transport, phone calls and most interaction are big challenges for me. In short, social anxiety restricts my life. That's where photography comes in. In the last couple of years, I've learned that photography helps me not to avoid situations I've avoided before. In the meantime I'm able to take pictures in a lively pedestrian zone or lay on the ground in public for a good photo.

Photography has also offered me new opportunities to confront my fears. In 2015 I had the chance to show my photographs in an exhibition. The problem was that I also had to present myself. Although it wasn't easy for me, I managed to be at my exhibition stand for a whole week, at least 1 hour a day, to talk to people and answer their questions about my work. It was one the biggest challenges of my life. But I did it, and I'm very proud of it.

Photography isn't just my favourite hobby, it's also become some kind of therapy for me. Social anxiety still restricts my life very much, but I have made more progress than I could ever have imagined.