If I walk fast

"If I walk fast, it's to avoid comments and unwanted touches. If I pretend to be on the phone, it's to avoid being approached. If I glance over my shoulder, it's to make sure I'm not being followed. This photographic series explores women's experience of public space through dark, fragmented images capturing the constant vigilance required to navigate urban environments. Each photograph reveals the invisible choreography of survival—clutched bags, defensive gestures, empty spaces transformed into emotional landscapes. Behind every image lies an internal dialogue: "I'll take the longer but safer route." "I need to look confident but not approachable." These thoughts, shared across cultures, expose the mental labor of simply moving through public space as a woman. The statistics are stark: 65% of women have faced street harassment. These numbers translate into behavioral changes — women modify their behavior to avoid harassment. Through dramatic lighting and intimate portraits, this work transforms the feminine experience of urban anxiety into political statement. Each image reveals how women must constantly negotiate their presence in public space, where freedom of movement is compromised by the need for vigilance. "