Shutter Sisters

How It Is

By

It was our second day in Nepal. Jen and I placed ourselves in the hands of our friend Renu Bagaria. We said things like, “Take us where we need to go. Tell us what we need to hear. Show us what we need to see.” This is how it is when we land in a new country for Picture Hope. We move in the moment. We trust our friends, and we trust our instincts. So when Renu said that she’d like to take us into some of the largest slums in Kathmandu to give us an opportunity to meet some of her students and their families in their homes, naturally, we were eager to follow her.

Laxmi welcomed us into her home with “namaste,” introduced her children, and stood quietly beside the family bed. We exchanged a handful of eager smiles and heartfelt words through Mukesh, Renu’s previous student and now right-hand man at Koseli School. Our time was short. The space was dimly lit. Laxmi seemed a little unsure about what to do in our presence. But I remember feeling blessed at this moment – to just stand there with my camera and the desire to share the light of such a strong and beautiful woman in her home. To watch the way her son looked up at her. To see her daughter reach for her brother’s hands. To witness love and get a good glimpse of hope.

As a documentary photographer, I strive to blend in with my surroundings – to give myself ample time and space to make my way past the barrier of a new connection, and establish a level of trust with my subjects so they feel comfortable in my presence. Like a scientist, my desire is to conduct a thorough study of who they are by watching their expressions, listening to their stories, and following the moves they make in a variety of spaces and scenarios. In fact, it’s best if they don’t even look at me. But more often than not, there is no such thing as ample time and space. I might only have five precious minutes (as I did here) to establish a strong-enough connection with the individuals beyond my lens before I grant myself permission to click. It’s just how it is.

Do you require a connection with your subjects? How do you make that connection? What can you do to make someone feel comfortable in your presence and at ease before your lens when time is of the essence? There might be tricks of trade, but I’ve discovered that the only thing I know how to do is to just be myself (not the photographer I think I need to be, but the woman I am) and hope they do the same.

Comments

  4. I don't have any tips, but just wanted to say how kind it is of you to respect the connection to your subjects! I did some volunteer work in Tanzania years ago, and our group leader had a "no cameras for the first 48 hours" rule in the village, to ensure that we worked on developing real connections with local people and not treating them as photo ops.

  5. "…not the photographer I think I need to be, but the woman I am…"

    Wow. Sometimes I tend to lose myself in the former, completely forgetting the latter. Those are the days when I shoot without passion, and get caught up in trying to force it to happen. From now on I'll remember these words, and hopefully it'll relax me back into my own, comfortable skin and help with the personal connections so necessary for creating intimate photographs. Thank you!

  6. I am a real newbie at photographing people other then my family and I too really like your words about being the woman you are and not the photographer you think you need to be. I will try to take those words with me wherever I go. Thanks for posting this article.
    Here are my latest shots:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/haymarni/

  7. Couldn't agree more with your post. For me, it is getting children to trust me, or sometimes teens and adults. But children are the hardest. I just try to use the right kind of humor with them. If I want them to laugh I tell them to give me the most serious face they can. If I want the most serious face they can give me though, that takes a good bit of practice. Here is a shoot on the fly of a friend of mine's kids. They seemed a bit apprehensive at first, but she told them that I was the boss and to not give me any problems. WOW. Love that kind of power. They were so sweet after the first several and were so helpful as well. One didn't like his teeth, but I told him he looked like Zach Braff and he loosened up later. With this age, I can have a little more fun and I never treat them like little kids. I just try to treat them how I would want to be treated. And more importantly, joke around with kids, and try to make if fun. That way, you soon become the only person they are comfortable having their picture taken by.

    http://lastpictureshowphotography.blogspot.com/2010/09/gentlemens-club.html

  8. wonderful inspiration. Nepal in on my life list of places to be – for sure. I love your words to be yourself. great advice and wonderful project.

  9. Yes, I always make a connection with the people I photograph and it means 'reading' the people and situation and simply going with the flow or going with the reading. One of the most important skills for a photographer is the ability to connect with the subjects — personality matters a great deal.