What
makes one image stand out more than another?
It will
often depend on the context. Usually for a photograph to stand out, it needs to be different, but
that seems too obvious. I think
that when a photographer follows his or or her instincts and that he has the
confidence to disregard the status quo, only then can he produce a truly
exceptional and unique body of work.
I
noticed in your Flickr album that you travel a lot and take photos along the
way. When you are capturing the streets, would you say you work on long-term
projects or rather enjoy the spontaneity?
I usually
have a couple of projects that I’m working on at any one time, but if I’m travelling
with family or friends I organize my time so that I don’t become unbearable
company! Some days, I will go off on my own to concentrate on what I’m looking
for and when I’m with others, I’m much more spontaneous.
I
think you have two photographic styles. One would be black & white focusing
on subtle graphics and then a more colourful documentary approach. Could you
talk more about your visual style.
Although
street photography can be refreshingly “statement-free”, it is innately about
man in his environment. At the
time I was concentrating on my below series, I was exploring the idea of man’s
frequent isolation and vulnerability in his urban environment. I felt this was best expressed by
strong, spare graphic compositions in high contrast black and white. Over the
last year my street photography has been evolving and more and more often I’m
interested in busier images with rich colours and strong light and shadows. I
think that in terms of real documentary work, I don’t have enough experience to
say whether or not I have an identifiable style. I’m sure that the way I approach a subject would depend on
the nature of the subject matter.
Recently
you mentioned about going to Africa to do your first serious documentary
project and document the situation in a refugee camp. How would you describe
this experience and project?
Even though
it is difficult to witness human suffering, what made the biggest impression on
me was how absolutely vital the work done, in Djibouti, by UNHCR, Unicef and
the World Food Prograpmme is. Before I left, I had imagined that I would find seeing the refugees in
Ali Addeh Refugee Camp particularly upsetting, but I quickly felt the relief
and even joy of the refugees because they were safe and their basic needs were
provided for. It wasn’t in the
camp, but in the poor parts of the town that I saw the greatest suffering.
What
made you take a more documentary approach?
I’ve always
been interested in documentary photography, but it’s a much more complicated
genre to break into. Before
embarking on a documentary project, I felt I needed more experience. I’ve only very recently felt that I was
ready. I really hope to continue to work on documentary projects, but I can’t
ever imagine not being a street photographer. I think the two genres are very complementary.
Part
of documentary photography aims to capture human suffering deal with on an
everyday basis.
I never set
out to search for human suffering. My interest is in reality. Documentary
photography can simply be about documenting society – any society. It can be about showing viewers
something interesting or even entertaining. Yet documentary photography can
also be about showing viewers something that they should perhaps be aware of.
Once viewers understand more about a situation, they are more likely to try to
help. I’ve felt alarm recently when I’ve heard people saying that aid doesn’t
work. This is false and a
potentially damaging thing to say.
NGO’s (nongovernmental organizations) have seen their funding decline in
the past couple of years, mainly due to the global financial downturn, but
possibly also because of doubts that the system works as well as it should. I
wanted to see what was being done by the NGO’s to help the vulnerable
populations in Djibouti. I
witnessed the NGO’s working efficiently, effectively and proactively -
improving and saving lives in this part of the world. I want to do what I can to let viewers know this.
Nick Turpin, a UK
photographer has said that shooting really good candid shots in public is the
greatest challenge in photography. What is your view on photographing in
public?
I agree -
it’s a challenge not only because so many factors are completely out of the
photographer’s control but, on top of this, the street photographer usually has
to work quickly and stealthily. Thankfully street photography can be relatively simple technically.
Who
or what influences your work the most?
The
location itself influences my work the most. The second most important influence is probably my feelings
or reaction to that location and towards the people there. After that it’s other photographers,
painters, critics, curators and authors such as John Szarkowski, Roland Bathes,
Susan Sontag and John Berger.
How
do you feel about editing your work?
I delete
the images I’m not happy with very quickly. If there’s any doubt, I keep the image. Ideally I prefer to leave my images for
a few months before doing anything with them. My post-production work is usually nothing more than simple
tweaking.
What
kind of equipment do you use?
I’m
currently using a Fuji X100 for everyday street photography. When I travel, I take my Nikon D700, a
35mm lens, a 20mm and a 50mm. I
use the 35mm most of the time.
What
is happiness to you?
I’m
happiest when I’m travelling with my family and a camera.
When
did you last let yourself go?
I let
myself go when I’m not concentrating on a particular series or task. The results are usually deleted in the
camera! On rare occasions, it’s
lead to something worthwhile. I
think fooling around with a camera is a great thing to do when a photographer
is in a rut.
What
is the one thing you will never do?
I will
never take a photograph that offends a person’s.
Which
photographers, dead or alive, do you most admire?
At the
moment Alex Webb is probably the photographer who inspires me the most, partly
because I just got my hands on his stunningly beautiful book, The Suffering of
Light. I also greatly admire the work of Tiago Santana, Trent Parke, Guy le Querrec,
and Bruno Quinquet. I’m inspired
by the photography and the humanity of James Natchwey, Abbas and Raymond
Depardon. My first photographic influences were Henri Cartier-Bresson and
Robert Frank. These two very
different photographers still influence me.
What
is it exactly that appeals to you in Alex Webb's work?
I find his exquisitely balanced, yet frequently surprising, compositions
inspiring. In my street
photography, I’m currently very interested in scenes bathed in strong light and
this is something that Alex Webb excels at. He also uses colour to dramatic effect. He’s a photographer
who likes to travel to make his images and this is something I have in common
with him! Looking at Webb’s images, I get a strong feeling for the location and
its people, but no real idea of Webb’s thoughts, beyond his intense curiosity.
I like this and I think it keeps the images open.
What does success look like to you?
I would love to see my images published more
frequently. Seeing my images
printed on the pages of a book would be wonderful. I also want to continue to exhibit my photographs. I would
also really like to be commissioned to do documentary projects.
