Ellen Luff

Japan ‘24

A sea of Firey robes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Impossibly fascinating, they stopped me in my tracks. Knowing nothing about these men, I hold a silent respect and a gaze of awe. They wear the robes of wisdom. The orange robes wrapped close to their bodies, knowledge hiding in it's folds. I don't know them, but I believe in them. I believe they know the secrets of the universe and that they understand what I cannot.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But a monk is just a man, and the robes are just cloth. The real awe they deserve is for choosing to live different. To choose a path detached from the world we accept. To deny complications we surround ourselves by and excuse ourselves with. They live simply, walk among us but not with us. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In their silent detachment we hail them wise. Beyond the secrets they hold, and their quiet understanding of our greatest mysteries, I can't help but wonder that their true wisdom is choosing to live apart. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #monk #wisewords #buddhism #different #one_shot_ #photojournalism #documentaryphotography #streetphotography #world_portfolio #photooftheday

Her fragile arms stroked the water, sweeping the boat on, like a ghost on water. She skimmed the surface, floating on discarded waves of motor boats. But she left no trail, no trace of her passing. A silent visitor, seeing but unseen. She had no race, no need to rush, she just was. Her eyes fixed on the water before her, her arms never breaking her soft rhythm. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There was a beauty in her stillness, in watching the rush but not joining it. What can you see when you choose to be still, to cloak yourself in its quiet invisibility, and watch the world in motion. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Everything keeps moving, life goes on. The world won't wait, but it's always there, you have the option to stop for air. The race is a choice.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #peace #justbreathe #slowlife #boat #oldlady #wisewords #streetphotography #photooftheday #photojournalism #thailand #visitthailand #one__shot__ #street_photo_club #streetleaks #streetlife_award #ourstreets #SPi_travel

Exhausted the clouds surrendered. A bolt tore the sky in two, a cry from above before the gunfire of rain spluttered into action. She stood at its mercy, shielding herself with a cowardly umbrella which wrestled to free itself. Dissolving into a tangle of poles and torn fabric. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There was nothing she could do, she was drenched in seconds. At the mercy of the downpour, she threw her head back and laughed. Rain ran down her cheeks chasing the tracks of the tears that fell from her eyes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This woman laughed in the face of the storm, joyfully powerless, she looked completely free.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #laughingoutloud #storm #brokenumbrella #happy #rainyday #pursuitofportraits #one_shot_ #portraitphotography #portraitsociety #portraitmood #photooftheday #streetphotography #thestreet

Tiny fingers made tiny folds, while big eyes watched on. She watched and waited, absorbing each fold I made, desperate not to miss a step. There were others beside her, my audience, watching as I carefully crafted a paper plane from a playing card. It was no giant feat of engineering, but it was enough for this audience. I finished my tiny craft and small hands sprung into action, each card hastily folded to obscurity. Eagerness overwhelmed them as they raced to hold their own plane, but forgot how to make it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But not her. She was different. She worked with delicacy, folding with tender consideration, copying from memory the dance of my own hands as I made mine. She was chasing aeroplane perfection. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You expect me to say she finished it perfectly, that she proudly held her immaculate plane, while overlooking our bedraggled airport of imperfect planes. But her plane wasn’t perfect. It barely even flew. Its nose pointed in, not out, flying forwards would have been an engineering miracle. Yet in that moment when she looked down in her hands, at the tiny plane she had made, it was perfect. Her face was magic. It wasn’t the plane that she set out to make, but somehow it didn’t matter. She loved what she had made and I loved it too. It was that indecipherable family portrait every parent lovingly sticks on the fridge, thats admired by all and loved for its innocent floors and the care that was poured into it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I revelled in her pride and admired her resilience for loving what she had made and her refusal to be disappointed by the perfection she failed to reach. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ One day those small hands will make that perfect plane, of that I have no doubt. But for now, she had tried. This was her best and that was more than good enough. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #paperplanes #proud #perfect #trying #photooftheday #portraitmood #portrait #portraitphotography #one_shot_ #pursuitofportraits #portraitsociety

I'm fascinated by them, these stone people with chiselled expressions. They stand defiant, the ultimate symbol of restraint. With tourists swarming, selfie stick yielding, they brush the stares off their shoulders, drowning out their buzzing chatter. The stone men do not move. Not a muscle lets them down. Their mouths do not curl, despite children's delight and teenage attempts to draw out a laugh. Their senses barraged, they're immune to it all, not even an itch break the toy soldiers. They stand in uniform, playfully unthreatening, a life size replica of those little green soldiers you once kept as a child. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ While their bodies remain frozen, their minds cannot be so still. Our heads are impatient with thoughts, feelings we cannot silence. What are these men thinking?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Their eyes give nothing away, with impenetrable concentration and an ice cold stare. I'm desperate to know what busies their minds when the day stretches before them.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With a whole day of nothingness except to think, how far can one mind wander? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #humanstatue #guard #toysoldier #tourist #whatareyouthinking #streetphotography #photojournalism

Have you ever thought about the men behind the scenes. The ones that maintain our cities, building our roads and keeping our trains on the tracks. Or did they only cross your mind when they were a disruption. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The men that work behind the scene do so with the final sight in mind. They overlook the disorder and weave the chaos into order. At best their work goes unnoticed, but more often then not, they'll cause disruption, if only for a while. Perfectly timed school runs and diligent daily routines are spoiled. The frustration they cause is spat back at them, their's nothing silent in hate they receive. Angry venom from those they're trying to help. ⠀⠀⠀⠀ - ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Their work buy nature ties them to disruption, they work to fix and change something. We as humans aren't comfortable with change, we like routeens and we like the familiar. So despite our joy at the end result, the process of getting there we'll meet with annoyance and frustration. Imagine a job that forces you to be the bad guy, like a parent trying to help their child, who refuses to hear their sense and see the bigger picture. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If only people thought beyond that moment of disruption and held their tung, thought with foresight and considered gratitude. And if only the men really knew how grateful people are when their work is done. But they move on before they ever see, to disrupt again, to be the bad guy once more.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So remember these men when you hear your train is delayed, hear the grumbles and moans and consider the toll of these endless complaints. Realise they are just men, doing a job. The price they pay to provide for their family, is facing our hate and being the face of a delay. Are they really bad people or a blessing to be thanked.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #greatfull #work #underappreciated #benice #streetphotography #one__shot__ #street_photo_club #streetleaks #streetlife_award #ourstreets

I watched as curiosity consumed him and saw him uncomfortably shuffling, wrestling to deny it. He leaned back, but his eyes stuck to the action, unable to tear his gaze away. He was caught in an agitated dance, desperate to look, but wary and unwilling to be caught looking. He was all to aware that his gaze was uninvited.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Curiosity isn't a sin, nor a crime, nor anything else to be ashamed off. Curiosity is an honest intrigue we all have, we were born to observe and to question. Human evolution depended on this. We watch to understand and ask questions to build the new. How many developments started from observing people, from conversations overheard and pondered over, and from inquisitive minds that never stopped asking questions, no matter how stupid or seemingly irrelevant. How many curious minds did it take to create this moment for you. What you read this on, where your reading from and what you’ll look up to.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Nosey is the other name for curious, its the name people fear, it makes us treat it as if its something to feel guilty about. It brings shame to something intrinsically built into human nature. Its why we animatedly pretend our ears stop hearing when the person next to us is on the phone, looking anywhere but at them, finding our hands suddenly very interesting. Fear of the accusation confines us, it makes us deny our human nature, close our inquisitive minds.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ To be curious is a blessing, we grow from it, so be careful how you use the word nosey. Don’t use it to cut down the questions of others, or as a weapon, a tool of unkindness to keep people from knowledge and from being included. Instead recognise curiosity for what it is, intrigue without an attitude or agenda. Its an trait of all of man kind. Recognise it in yourself and in others and don’t let shame stop you.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #noshame #staycurious #portraitmood #portraitfestival #pursuitofportraits #portraitsociety #one__shot__ #STi_Travel #photooftheday

Children find happiness everywhere. Whenever they look for it, they’ll always find it. As kids we followed it everyday, into muddy puddles, laughing until our sides hurt and we couldn't run anymore. But we grew older, just following happiness became risky, we had obligations. To have it simply became a bonus. To chase it became a dream. There is no secret art to finding happiness once again, for it cannot be lost, people just forget to look. So look again with the eyes of a child for simple delights, indulge in reckless abandonment and follow it once in a while. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Smiles spread and jump to others, contagious as a yawn. Pure laughter is infectious, so catch it. Share in the company of those that laugh readily, those that will seek joy with you. Look and you will find it, just as you once did so effortlessly.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Happiness can always be found again. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #happydays #bestfriend #likeachild #streetleaks #streetphotography #STi_Travel

With profound irony the man sat with his caged birds, looking as confined as them. He may hold their key, but they also held his. A man with no money, has no freedom, happiness and luck become an everyday wish. This man sold freedom, happiness and luck, all in one simple trade, but which of those did he enjoy himself. And which were his to give away.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ That pigeon defiantly wandered around his feet. It was too ugly to consider selling and incapable of capturing and selling another, yet that bird was the most free. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He was simply a reminder, with a kiss of irony, that those who seem in the strongest position aren't always the most free.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #freedom #trapped #makingmoney #irony #streetleaks

We're different by fortune, but once, for just a second, we were all the same. Opportunity divides us more than race or religion ever will. It's a unappreciated gift for some and a fight for many. It's an unrecognised war and an unspoken one. At our first breath we were equal, our first cry declaring our unlimited potential. But we grew up, we grew uneven. Opportunities are spread unevenly, unjustly and without a hand of reason. Potential is 9 months of untarnished hope, It's what are ancestors dreamt of and fought for, and it's what steals our own dreams. But it's opportunity that makes our dreams become real, or turn them all to embers. #wearethesame #streetphotography #burnmyeye #SPi_Travel

There's an immediacy to child's play, it's as if they can feel each second tick by. They race to fill each moment, running never walking, pushing back bedtimes and waking before dawn. I used to cram to chase adulthood, as if I could make it come sooner, later I crammed because I realised it was coming soon enough. #streetphotography #childhood #running