Fazal Sheikh

Reading the Fazal Sheikh book "A Camel For The Son". The book contains both stunning b/w portraiture and heartbreaking written testimonials. The combination of the visual with the written doubles the power of the book.

In the future if I am able to do portraiture in brothels, refugee camps or slums I need to find a way to include the personal stories of the people I photograph. To have the back story of the subject helps round out the photograph, it gives added weight to the message your trying to tell.

How do I do this? My Thai is not good enough to get into the details of peoples lives, I need to either dramatically improve my Thai or get interpreters to help me. If I photograph in Cambodia or other places that presents a different language problem. I cannot become fluent in every language from every country, so getting help from a local who speaks English seems like the smartest move.

The problem is I enjoy doing everything myself, this coming show, I photographed, developed the film and prints, cut the mats and put together my own frames. I had a friend who cut the frame sections for me but everything else I did myself. To have an interpreter at the photo sessions seems intrusive, but if a greater more important story is told it is something I need to consider.