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Why I taped labels of my camera:
I was browsing the streets one day around the marked, testing out the camera. While I was heading home I noticed that some guy in da hoodie is following me. After some chatting I figured he had a concern that he might have made to my pictures while I was photographing street life in the market. I could not give a straight answer to that, how could I? Since while shooting street life, poeple become scene details rather than concrete personalities.
I asked if he would like me to make couple of portraits of him. He was confused but agreed. After few frames I noticed that some tension is disturbing him. For a reply why does he feel himself uncomfortable I got: “yes look what a camera you have”. After some chatting situation eased and I probably got a frame what about the guy will be very pleased.
Later after some thinking I figured that I do not like to talk about equipment, especcially while on active shoot. That was the day when I took the black tape and taped all the camera labels, details which pop out and add contrast to camera- to make it more invisible.
I do not like to talk about equipment because to my experience there are too few people who can talk constructively about it, I miss that. Additionally in the future I will try to do as much as possible from my side to leave an impression of being a human being instead of a photographer- Which in worst case relates to people someone who has lenses all the time before eye and goes like click click click.
Some time ago while reading an interview with Steve McCurry I became to realization how fortunate guy he is. In far east regions where industry and standards do not rule lives so much like in western cultures, people tend to be less self concious. Which to me feels like a blessing. Every day in western civilization advertising world throws at us crazy amount of comparsion material. This in turn makes societies very aware of ourselves, which is good. But most often it has negative effect. Since there is looming constant fear that one is not good enought, which results being closed and injects us with fear of being exploited. Lot of fears :)
Harder it makes for someone to be a photographer the more societies become self aware. Fashion industry of course flourishes, but that is different story and honestly fashion is a dessert, not a neccesity.
Lately I have been asked quite some times, how do I have managed to talk difficult characters into willing to pose for me. One way of course is manipulation which is very common practiced method and into which I do not believe, I rather hate it. I hate it since I hate while someone is manipulating with me, I get angry when I notice it happening to me.
Few days ago I had an interesting shoot which made me to think about the same issue in a different perspective. I managed to photograph I think most difficult character yet for me. I could not have done it a year ago. But being open for changes made it happen. I was asked again how did I do it, to which I did not know what to reply in a first sight. Since it is something what I do while I do instead of thinking of it. But after some thinking I realized what went right. I’ll share that in a coming post.
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