One of the first things I realized when I picked up a camera and started
making pictures of people was that it opened doors into the world of my
subject. I got to learn about the person I was photographing, they told
me about their lives, their feelings, sometimes their inner thoughts as
we made pictures together. People have always been fascinating to me,
why they do what they do, what they believe, what motivates them, what
makes them tick? With a camera in your hand you have sort of an
invitation into the lives, into the worlds of others, it sort of gives
you licence to enter a forbidden place.
The more photography I do, the more deep I get into different
lives, cultures, experiences the more I want it, its like an insatiable
addiction. An addiction to learn, to understand, to create and to tell
stories. One experience feeds on another, it fascinates me, drives me to
work harder and it makes me want to tell others (some call it
sermonizing) of those experiences, through the photographs, shows,
online galleries, emails, blogs etc.
I was thinking today of something that happened to me on one of my
last days in the dump in Mae Sot. I was standing photographing some
adults walking on a road with the garbage as a back drop when 3 young
children approached me. These youngsters just ran up smiling and started
hugging my legs, I was sort of surrounded and when I looked down they
just laughed and smiled up at me holding tight. I tried to make pictures
of them but they were sort of embedded in my legs and I could not move
without making them fall, so I sort of just smiled and they
laughed and smiled and this went on for 3 or 4 minutes. I am not sure
why I am telling that story now but its a memory that just flashed back
today and it seemed important. That is what photography of people is
like you have these shared moments, these wonderful-terrible-sad-happy-
Photographing living breathing feeling people, is so different than
doing inanimate objects, rocks, trees and the like. When you can speak
to your subject, hear them laugh, see them cry it's more personal. When you feel
and understand a tiny bit of their lives and then relate that in a
creative way through your pictures, it's really something, its comes down
to one word, BEAUTIFUL.
