That’s what Yuji Haikal’s late father said to him one day. It prompted him to reconnect with his passion for photography, and later on start a photobook delving into the idea of loss, grief and memory. And it was this photobook, with the apt title “Why Aren’t You Taking Photos Anymore?” that won the International Photography Awards (IPA) 2024 in Athens, Greece, making it the first Malaysian to have ever won this award. We speak to Yuji Haikal about what it means for him to represent Malaysia, the idea of rekindling a lost passion and, of course, the art of photography.

Image Credit: YuriAbas, Shutterstock