This picture is from the archives, a bit old but not that old.
Recently I've been thinking a lot about how I can separate myself from a situation I am in by using my camera to hide behind. I've realized that this act can be a healthy way to make pictures in hard situation but it can also be really unhealthy (to me). I have found in many conversations that making pictures and removing myself from the reality of the moment/conversations doesn't hit me until way later...way later. I don't know what my conclusion is to this or if there really is one but rather it's just something I have been thinking about. This week I've tried not to pick up my camera as much in those moments where I don't want to remove myself but be fully present. I'll see how it worked out when I go back into my RAW files a few months down the line. Should I have picked up my camera and made that picture in that hard conversations or should I have been 100% there? Only time will tell...
5 comments:
It's a catch 22. By photographing everything, everywhere, you're preserving what was. If you pass up on documenting a situation, you may miss out on a great opportunity, left only to wonder somewhere down the line, "What if?"
There really is no easy solution. Photojournalism is what you love, and it's part of who you are. To try to separate yourself from that, is to almost deny who you are.
Maybe one day there will be a healthier balance for you, but for now I think you should do what makes you happy.
That is exactly what I was trying to say but was too tired to express it that well in words.
i loved reading your WORDS! it's nice to hear those thoughts...
I've had similar thoughts about this very subject, but I don't shoot enough to worry about it all the time.
That feeling of separation is more obvious when I want to shoot but I'm with people who have no interest in photography, journalism, etc.
Maybe the key is surrounding yourself with people who share your interests.
You have the same dilemma as Mark from RENT.
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