In almost every case, the onlookers are seen with their lips apart, and their heads inclined in the same direction. I note how the small crowd have gathered as close to the edge of a pavement as they can manage, and that behind them there is room for passersby to make their way unmoved by a sense of emergency. It is a mystery of the picture that they see what I cannot see, and that their pose indicates the climax of a drama whose resolution remains unclear.

— Emmanuel Iduma

During a walk around Cape Town's CBD, I noticed a crowd of people gathered, all looking up and pointing to a small open window across the road. Through the sirens of fire trucks and an ambulance, I heard someone scream “jump” followed by laughter from the crowd. The window was too small for a person, I thought. Turns out it was just a false fire alarm and an open window. 

I am interested in the act of looking in all its flavours. When I look at this photo now, I am reminded of a quote from the movie Amelie: “Only the fool looks at the finger that points to the sky.”

I'm not sure if I believe that a photograph can change anything. I can only change myself, and sometimes the act of photography lends a hand. Photography is a tool for reflection. Furthermore, I believe photography can help us question and create meaning.

— Jansen van Staden

Jansen van Staden is a South African photographer and author of Microlight. “I use street photography as a conceptual entry point to reflect on personal imaginaries and social constructs of belonging and disconnect,” he says. See more on his website and Instagram profile.