Nick Oza

Photojournalism is a documentation of life. In life, there is no such word as "wrong." It depends on who is judging. The issues we deal with in everyday life affect us heavily. I absorb this feeling and want to focus on becoming a better human first, then on spreading the knowledge. God has given wisdom and knowledge to every soul; it depends on how a person sees it. My quest in life is to explore this world and to understand the differences between reality and how we function. Muktanada (a philosopher) said, "You have to understand your own self and it will come to you." That's how I see myself as a journalist. I want to document people, life and social structure. Many journalists think they are here to change society. In my personal opinion, people will change if they want to. So many of us are caught up in changing other people's lives, but we have our own problems. How can you preach when you see the fault within you?

            Everybody has a story to tell. In my profession, the camera allows me to get close to people. They share their views, fear and joy, and I share mine. For me, understanding comes first and only then, does my camera.

            Visual diary is so important in life. Even when a person travels to another part of the globe, the native people will understand the visual. Everybody has vision.  The effort is in developing it. I strive to put forth that effort for my community. Surveys say that people glance at a newspaper page for an average of three seconds. If the visual is powerful enough to fixate their attention, they might dig for more.