When I found out that our friends at dynamic nonprofit organization What Took You So Long (WTYSL) would be traveling around Liberia with legendary social documentary photographer and filmmaker, Phil Borges, I immediately requested they shoot a video interview with him for Matador Network.
Phil is currently working on special projects in Liberia for the United Nations (UN) specifically UN Women and Foundation for Women, and in less than four minutes, shares his backstory of how he got into photography, what keeps him going, as well as a few core values aspiring photographers should strive for.
In such a highly competitive industry, one of his quotes that resonated the most with me as a photographer was the following:
“Don’t make it [photography] for the market. Make it for yourself. And then have whatever comes out of yourself sold to the market.”…Phil Borges
That’s how you truly stand out in my opinion.
Phil Borges stirs the Fire in Liberia from What Took You So Long? for Matador Network.
For more inspiration, check out Phil’s TED talk on Endangered Cultures below.