At Truth, we’re always interested in seeing film photography used not simply as a medium, but as a deliberate creative choice.
That is why we are excited to be collaborating with Cape Town-based photographer Ajay Lalu on his latest body of work, which is being photographed on Fomapan black-and-white film.
Although many people know Ajay from his career in business and entrepreneurship, photography has become an increasingly important part of his creative life over the past several years. His work explores themes of identity, memory, belonging, community, and the human experience, often focusing on stories that exist outside the mainstream narrative.
Ajay’s photography has been exhibited in South Africa and internationally through a growing number of galleries, festivals, and juried exhibitions. His work has been shown at the Venice Borders Art Fair in Italy, at LumiNoir Art and Roseberry Road Studios in the United Kingdom, and at exhibitions hosted by Trinsicway and Black Box Gallery in the United States. His photographs have also been published in photobooks, exhibition catalogues, and international photography platforms. Alongside his exhibition practice, he continues to develop long-form photographic projects that combine visual storytelling with social and cultural commentary.
Most recently, his documentary project A Mountain Divides culminated in the publication of a photographic book exploring the history, culture, and resilience of Cape Town’s Kaapse Klopse communities. The project challenged stereotypical representations of marginalised communities and sought instead to celebrate dignity, heritage, and human connection. In keeping with the spirit of the work, all net proceeds from the book are directed towards Shoot4Purpose, a South African initiative that uses photography as a tool for empowerment and healing among women who have survived trauma.
What attracted us to Ajay’s work is his commitment to a slower and more intentional photographic process. At a time when photography is increasingly shaped by algorithms, artificial intelligence, and the limitless production of digital imagery, Ajay remains committed to the deliberate practice of analogue photography. Using medium-format film cameras, he creates photographs that are built on patience, observation, and human connection, images that are discovered rather than generated.
This philosophy aligns closely with our own belief that film remains a uniquely powerful medium for visual storytelling. The deliberate nature of analogue photography encourages patience, observation, and engagement with the subject, qualities that often lead to more meaningful work.
We are pleased to be supporting Ajay’s current analogue practice with Fomapan film and look forward to following the work as it develops.
For us, collaborations like these are about more than film stock. They are about supporting photographers who continue to demonstrate the relevance of analogue photography in contemporary visual culture and who use the medium to tell stories with authenticity, care, and purpose.
We look forward to sharing more from Ajay’s work in the future.