Silence, Kombucha, and Reclamation: Yes, I Stepped Away from the Lens

cbr, 2025

Releasing Bad Boyfriends and Capturing Pure Moments: Return to self

My year away from photoshoots was never about disappearing. It was about rediscovering.

The silence was intentional. A deliberate pause in a world that demands constant performance. I spent months drinking kombucha at Erewhon, having conversations with Victor that peeled back layers of expectation, understanding that creativity isn't about visibility - it's about depth.

Poem: "Reclamation"

Silence speaks louder than frames can hold,

A narrative waiting to unfold,

Beyond the lens, beyond the pose,

Where authentic storytelling grows.

Now, I'm returning. But not to the photoshoots of before. These new concepts are different - more intentional, more raw. I want images that challenge the status quo, that speak to vulnerability and strength. No more performative aesthetics. No more bad boyfriends - literal or metaphorical.

The shoots I'm planning? They're about breaking down walls. Capturing moments between moments. Showing the beauty in imperfection, in the spaces we typically edit out. Each frame will be a statement, each concept a rebellion against the sanitized version of creativity we've been sold.

This isn't just a comeback. This is a reclamation.

-Mitchell Royel