I made a photobook out of something someone once said to me. (ouch.)
You know how some things people say just… stick? Like someone says something once — offhand, careless, or maybe meant to help — and somehow it moves in, rents space in your brain, and never really leaves? That happened to me. A few times. And I realized: I’m not the only one!
This project is about — well — that.
the things you said. is a portrait photography project that explores how words shape our self-image — especially in our most impressionable years. A phrase said once can echo for years. Some lift us. Some leave scars. Many are carried quietly, long after they were spoken.
This project is about those phrases — and the people they’ve shaped. Each image is paired with a transparent layer of text: a sentence once said, now remembered. To fully see the portrait, you have to lift the words. Literally. A quiet, deliberate act — and yes, a bit of emotional lifting — inviting you to look closer, to see the person beyond the assumptions.
Each image is paired with a transparent layer of text — a phrase once spoken, now remembered. To fully see the portrait, you have to lift the words. Literally. It’s a quiet but deliberate gesture — and yes, a bit of emotional lifting — inviting you to look beyond assumptions and really see the person behind the story.
This project is about recognition. Reflection. And reclaiming power from things we didn’t choose to carry — but can choose to put down.
Through this blend of photography and storytelling, the things you said. becomes a space of reflection, recognition, and reclamation. It’s about the journey of transforming words we didn’t choose to carry into something we can finally let go of. A visual testament to the strength it takes to define yourself — and the beauty of doing it on your own terms.
In a world that often rushes past nuance and vulnerability, I want this book to foster empathy and self-expression. If, while turning its pages, you find yourself discussing it with friends, recalling phrases that shaped your life, or even words you’ve said to others — if this book gets you thinking or talking about the impact of words, asking: What do we remember? What do we still believe? What do we want to let go of? Then it’s already done its job.
132 pages filled with photographs and notes.
— 17 x 24 cm
— Open thread stitching with open back
— Embossed cover
— Softcover with fold
132 pages filled with photographs and notes.
— 17 x 24 cm
— Open thread stitching with open back
— Embossed cover
— Softcover with fold
