totally but I do think he has a point about having an inside view. it’s less about colour than about forming a long-term attachment to the place where one is working, in my view, and i believe language and cultural knowledge counts for a lot. I really feel too many photographers are seduced by the exotic. in some ways it’s more challenging to open your eyes and find interesting stories on your doorstep. overfamiliarity breeds contempt etc etc. that long-term commitment could come from moving to a foriegn place for a significant period of time…whatever…there’s too much diving into another culture for a two week project though. for me, it’s not good enough
Good observation, Ciara. It’s good to do short project and came out thinking, “Actually I still don’t get the whole picture and I need to understand/investigate more.” I think the best photogs are the ones who question a lot. Saying that my all time hero is NatGeo’s Thomas J Abercrombie. That guy could do immersion. In fact he turned himself into the subject he covered for that point-of-view.
Discussion (9 Comments)
yeah i’ve just worked my way through all of these and Saiful’s is by far the most interesting among a very interesting set of interviews
True, but white photographers have compassionate eyes too and don’t feel less pain than coloured photographers.
totally but I do think he has a point about having an inside view. it’s less about colour than about forming a long-term attachment to the place where one is working, in my view, and i believe language and cultural knowledge counts for a lot. I really feel too many photographers are seduced by the exotic. in some ways it’s more challenging to open your eyes and find interesting stories on your doorstep. overfamiliarity breeds contempt etc etc. that long-term commitment could come from moving to a foriegn place for a significant period of time…whatever…there’s too much diving into another culture for a two week project though. for me, it’s not good enough
YEah thats why we see aesthetic over storytelling … because the often the entry into the story is so shallow.
Its not about color thought is it? Its about the eye an indigenous photographer can bring.
Good observation, Ciara. It’s good to do short project and came out thinking, “Actually I still don’t get the whole picture and I need to understand/investigate more.” I think the best photogs are the ones who question a lot. Saying that my all time hero is NatGeo’s Thomas J Abercrombie. That guy could do immersion. In fact he turned himself into the subject he covered for that point-of-view.
Is white not a colour too?