Last week Leah was doing a tidy up in the apartment when she came across my photo ‘portfolio’. She was again very impressed by my photos, even though I don’t think they are that exceptionally good. Nonetheless, Leah felt they are good enough that she requested a prospectus from the School of Visual Art in New York so I can look at their continuing education course in Photography.

Although I know that some of my photos are good and that a number of friends and family had previously told me that they are very good, I’ve never felt that I have the skills to make a living from photography. Then last week, I realised that my mindset is partially influenced by my Chinese upbringing.

Modest is a virtue that my parents have instilled in me since I can remember. Teaching such as, let your work speaks for itself, becomes integral part of my thinking that it drives my everyday actions. Only in the last few years that I can accept I can and should let people know my development skills. And that I should not just let my previous works do the speaking. With photography, I am still in the modesty mindset and it is something I need to wrap my mind around the fact that I can take good photographs.