Ṣàlàyé
Yorùbá
/ʃalajeɪ/
verb
: to make known or understandable by revealing details.
“Jẹ́ ká ṣàlàyé” (“Let us explain”)
Slang: to talk extensively without being required to
“Resist the urge to ṣàlàyé!”
Hi, I’m Tam!
And one January morning circa 2020, I started what would later be known as “Photo of the day by Tam”. 108 days later, I quit.
A lot changed in those 108 days:
My photos began gaining a following in my school and on Instagram.
I developed text thumbs because I was constantly editing on my phone.
I discovered that a crush (whom I had never spoken to) was a fan. A fact I was proud of until I found out my contact was saved on her phone as “Photo of the day by Tam”. The cost of greatness, I like to think.
I hit burnout so intensely that I temporarily gave my camera away and seriously considered quitting photography.
Somehow, I didn’t quit. Somewhere along the line, I fell back in love with photography. Not too long after, someone told me I was “a phenomenal writer”, and years later, I’ve decided I agree with him.
There’s so much I want to say, lots of stories I want to tell — of the life of a 20-something-year-old who would rather not be a professional photographer and the people, places, and moments that make him okay with that decision—about the magnificence of amala and reasons to believe that fried plantain is overrated.
I set up this newsletter as a pet project to stay committed to two of my amateur interests that go well together — writing and photography. It is a mostly free newsletter but the support of my paid subscribers is very much appreciated.
Please subscribe, read, and feel free to leave comments if you’d like to strike up a chat or just let me know you enjoy yourself.
What to expect:
Brief notes accompanied by photos from my archives or guests.
Banter & Soliloquy: Longer form stories, musings, and essays inspired by conversations between and within.
People, places, moments—an exercise in visual storytelling.
