Something that has been brewing in my mind for some time is to get a bit deeper/further/more meaningful in my photography. I might be able to produce some photos which are pleasing to the eye, but I would like to explore more, and use photography to understand the world, and understand myself even.
I have realised that to do so I have to be corageous and committed. I have learnt how to press the clutch and change gears, now it's time to drive to some interesting destinations. It's about engaging with the world, to participate and talk to people and find out how they live. In street photography or documentary you can be a voyeur who coldly keep their distance or someone who dares to participate and connect.
An example of this is the project about Julie by Darcy Padilla, featured on weareoca.com. The photographer gets to know Julie and her lifestory and conveys how she lives. Darcy Padilla says that she hopes that the photos make the viewer feel. And I certainly do after looking at the series of photos. Some people might wonder how a photographer can follow the misery of this woman without trying to help. First of all, we don't know if she has tried to help. Secondly, this is a documentary and even if the photographer had intervened, the outcome might have been the same. There are certainly more life stories like Julie's and I think it's brave by the photographer to commit herself to this project and make people realise how other people live. It doesn't go away just because you choose to cover this story.
So my conclusion is that an aspiring photographer needs to practise social skills and to be brave, to get more meaningful images. That is what I am intending to do. Be brave!
I have realised that to do so I have to be corageous and committed. I have learnt how to press the clutch and change gears, now it's time to drive to some interesting destinations. It's about engaging with the world, to participate and talk to people and find out how they live. In street photography or documentary you can be a voyeur who coldly keep their distance or someone who dares to participate and connect.
An example of this is the project about Julie by Darcy Padilla, featured on weareoca.com. The photographer gets to know Julie and her lifestory and conveys how she lives. Darcy Padilla says that she hopes that the photos make the viewer feel. And I certainly do after looking at the series of photos. Some people might wonder how a photographer can follow the misery of this woman without trying to help. First of all, we don't know if she has tried to help. Secondly, this is a documentary and even if the photographer had intervened, the outcome might have been the same. There are certainly more life stories like Julie's and I think it's brave by the photographer to commit herself to this project and make people realise how other people live. It doesn't go away just because you choose to cover this story.
So my conclusion is that an aspiring photographer needs to practise social skills and to be brave, to get more meaningful images. That is what I am intending to do. Be brave!