Realism not happiness!

Taking photos of serious issues you expect to be confronted with scenes of pain and suffering. Scenes that you think will infuse your images with realism and greatness. You soon realise life is not always like that but when your confronted with happiness things get confusing. I think photographers can be wary of smiles, being part of the quintessential family album picture, there’s the danger of the image being labeled as cheesy or cute. Doubts continue to roam around my head as to whether such an image can have validity, when this is supposed to be serious photography, about serious issues, for serious people. How can laughter be part of real life?! For now I’ll sit on it, but I suppose if these people insist on doing it I’ll have to let one or two sly grins slip through. (If anyone wants to give some serious critique over the next fortnight while Adam and Olly are away I’d really appreciate it).

Round 3

Today wasn’t such a bad tutorial. Its amazing how this course is able to identify your problems. A lot of them are problems that you knew existed but hoped would disappear magically as you moved into taking incredible photos. Not so easy. They are things you really have to confront, and its not always easy or comfortable, but I think possibly one of the times the grass really is greener on the other side. If you manage it… From spending a few days with La Medina Familia there are 3 things I really want to focus on. The family as a whole as they seem pretty strong and have been through quite a lot together. The work of the parents, its something they hate but they do it, and have done everything for their kids. And the responsibility taken on by the eldest, Jefferson, to be there for his sisters when the parents are working. I think from that other aspects of their stories will come out. Here’s a few pics so far…

Round 2

So now the fun begins. Today I was given the final go-ahead to spend a few weeks photographing an Ecuadorian family and their lives in and around the Heygate Estate. After meeting the parents Cecilia y Polo on Tuesday they’d told me my project was fine by them but I would have to ask the kids. So this evening I had dinner with the whole family and everybody was happy with me to go for it.

After all the effort in getting to this stage you would think the next part would be easy. However after meeting with them I really felt the pressure of producing a good piece of work. Not only for myself and the MA but when people open themselves up to your camera like this I really feel I have to return the favor.

Scraps

These are from my first little practice with Max’s lovely Voightlander.

Heygate

Aylesbury

Market