The Afterpast Review
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • A Past of Protest
    • The Imperfect Present
    • A Feminist Future
  • Blog
  • About
    • Masthead
    • Join Us
  • Submissions
  • New Air Era Project
    • About Us
    • Resources
    • Our Work >
      • Partnerships
      • Share Your Voice
      • Fundraiser
    • Contact
  • Contact

The Imperfect Present

Photography in the Late Afternoon by Aarani Diana (Malaysia, 21)

9/24/2023

 
​I am not good at taking photos of myself
or getting my picture taken. Instead I prefer
capturing moments in time. Once in
the early evening, at a shopping mall
in front of the giant artificial tree, decked out
with warm jewel toned ornaments and silver tinsel.
People blurry as they pace through their lives.
Random shots of cafes and restaurants
visited on off days so it’s quiet and there’s
an illusion of intimacy. Profiles of family and
friends who have since existed to be only in
the pictures. There’s a filter I’m fond
of because it makes everything seem a
little gentle and hazy like it’s a sleepy late
afternoon and you’re in love.
I don’t care for the poised stuff. I prefer candid photos
of people I love. I think when we’re
in love we’d always like to think
we’re creating something beautiful, and with our
snapshots of those moments then suddenly
in our creation, that beauty becomes real.





​Aarani Diana is a writer and poet from Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Her work has appeared in Orange Blush Zine and Journal of Erato, and she is a staff writer for Love Letters and the Incognito Press. She also publishes her own blog, sparkoftheflames.com.  ​

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    March 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023

  • Home
  • Magazine
    • A Past of Protest
    • The Imperfect Present
    • A Feminist Future
  • Blog
  • About
    • Masthead
    • Join Us
  • Submissions
  • New Air Era Project
    • About Us
    • Resources
    • Our Work >
      • Partnerships
      • Share Your Voice
      • Fundraiser
    • Contact
  • Contact