20/07/2025

ON SUNDAY JULY 20, 2025 theSunday Special VII

E YHU\ IHZ \HDUV KH FRPSLOHV KLV VHO¿HV into a time-lapse video. “It’s like travelling through a tunnel of time. You get this sense of humility, watch ing yourself grow older in fast-forward. ,W¶V YHU\ SRZHUIXO /LNH ÀLSSLQJ WKURXJK a diary without words.” A IDPLO\ D̆ DLU S L[WHHQ \HDUV RI GDLO\ VHO¿HV PHDQ WKDW KLV family has grown up in front of the camera as well. His wife is now an enthusiastic co-conspirator, occasionally pointing out photogenic backdrops or reminding him, “Bang, hari ni dah selfie?” (Have you WDNHQ D VHO¿H WRGD\ GHDU" As for his children, “When they were little, they probably thought this is what their father does for a living. It’s just a normal part of their lives,” he joked. His friends are a mixed bag. “A lot of them support the project. Some are still confused about it. But that’s okay.” The digital diligence Uncle Gedek’s meticulousness is part of what earned him his record. Each photo is backed up in triplicate – stored on his laptop, an external hard drive and in the cloud. They’re all organised by year, month and date. He doesn’t just upload randomly. Every photo is traceable, time VWDPSHG DQG YHUL¿HG

P RZHU RI WKH SHUVRQD With any long-standing online presence comes criticism. Some have dismissed his work as shallow or self-indulgent. 2Q ; IRUPHUO\ 7ZLWWHU VRPHRQH RQFH mockingly labelled him with the hashtag as vain, attention-seeking and overly self-promotional – a jab at his frequent VHO¿HV DQG VRFLDO PHGLD XSGDWHV “I can’t control what people think. I just continue. The project has meaning for me. I don’t need everyone to get it,” he said with a shrug. O YHU WLPH WKH SURMHFW¶V VLJQL¿FDQFH KDV shifted. What began as a creative outlet evolved into a tribute to perseverance and, ultimately, a personal celebration of ageing. “I didn’t start with any deep message. But consistency creates meaning. Now, I see it as honouring the ageing process. It’s a documentation of real life, day by day. That, to me, is beautiful,” he admitted. The selfie project isn’t his only cre ative pursuit. He’s also been recording one-second video clips daily, which he compiles into monthly reels on his social media. It’s another way of capturing the essence of everyday life, distilled into TXLFN ÀHHWLQJ PRPHQWV A JOLPSVH LQWR WKH IXWXUH As for what’s next, he says he plans to keep going “as long as my body allows it.” There are thoughts of publishing a book or hosting an exhibition, but for now, he’s content sticking to the rhythm of daily documentation. “Start now. Don’t overthink it. Take your camera, take your photo and start today.” For those thinking about start ing their long-term creative projects, 8QFOH *HGHN R̆ HUHG VLPSOH DGYLFH %XW EH warned, it’s not as easy as it looks. “To stay consistent, you need discipline. Especially if you want to break a record, they will thoroughly check every piece of data. No cheating.”

He wanted to record the ageing process Ùēã¾ľēũϰϔϰěĢϰżēŊãľłμϰöľĢęϰØē¾ÙĐϰü¾ÿľϰŊĢϰţüÿŊãϰ and age spots.

This level of dedication also means he plans his life around his project. No holidays to internet-dead zones. “I won’t go to the jungle. Big no-no,” he laughed. “There was one time my phone died. I panicked and borrowed a DSLR from the Ṙ FH 7KDW¶V KRZ VHULRXV , WDNH LW ´ ,Q years, he’s only ever missed one day – a fact that still makes him wince. “I was so busy that day, so I forgot. When I realised, it was already past mid night. I felt like fainting,” he said with a sheepish grin.

It’s very powerful. Like flipping through a diary without words.”

It’s a documentation of real life, day by day.

Still, he says, the rewards are worth it. Even if no one’s watching, you’ll have something to look back on. “If you start young, your documentation will be even more powerful.” T KH DFFLGHQWDO SKLORVRSKHU For someone who never set out to become D UHFRUG KROGHU RU LQÀXHQFHU 8QFOH *HGHN has stumbled into a quietly profound SUDFWLFH +LV VHO¿HV DUH QRW DERXW YDQLW\ – they’re about visibility. About showing up. Every day. In a world constantly chasing novelty, his project is a rare reminder of the beauty RI WKH HYHU\GD\ 7KHUH DUH QR ¿OWHUV QR fancy backdrops, no elaborate stunts. Just a man, a camera and a whole lot of commitment. As he once learned the hard way at a foreign immigration checkpoint, where he was nearly detained for instinctively snapping a selfie in a no-photo zone, muscle memory can be a powerful thing. Now, when he looks back at his thou VDQGV RI VHO¿HV KH GRHVQ¶W MXVW VHH KLV IDFH +H FRQVLGHUV WLPH H̆ RUW URXWLQH FKDQJH humour, heartbreak and everything in between. It’s not just a photo. It’s a life – one VHO¿H DW D WLPH

Anything interesting, funny or beautiful was fair game.