Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/17
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]To all concerned LUGgers, There is no need for a photographer to shamelessly disturbing meaningful and very special occasions in 'holy' places. I clearly remember that my wife and I fled as quickly as possible out of a small but beautiful church in Cyprus some ten years ago, when tourists, by the bus load, were 'vomited' into it during a solemn ceremony, the baptism of a two or three days old child. The small group of Greek orthodox Cypriots were overwhelmed, flabbergasted while the curious crowd poked their noses into this very special occasion. The priest and the parents and the god father and mother seem to have sped up the ceremony and we saw them shyly coming out of the church hurrying to their car or perhaps another part of the cloister. My wife and I were very, very upset, and we had to take a deep breath before we could go into the church again. I made some pictures of the stained glass windows, a crucifix and the little altar. Most of the tourists had gone. But the harm was done. Being a witness of intimate moments is a delicate subject matter, for the presence of the 'stranger' may be felt as an intrusion, with or without a camera. In both cases one has to build rapport in order to avoid exactly that. Sensitive photography is about rapport between the persons before and behind the camera. Rapport may be built up by asking, by the 'right' (is empathic) attitude and behavior. In anthropology one of the key methods for obtaining information and eventually perhaps even understanding, is 'participant observation', the researcher is visible, he/she takes part in the daily routines, but is also a guest at ceremonies and rituals, even takes part in these. If done/obtained succesfully, people may even be proud to share their culture with their 'guest.' The participants of the group all know what he is doing, why he is there. In general, the presence of camera may even help to - implicitly - give a meaningful purpose to the presence of a person. Musn't sensitive photography be very simlar to 'participant observation'?! Like the anthropologist, the photographer may somewhat later present the results of his 'mild intrusion', As many resarch permits for anthropologists demand feedback to their hostst and an explicit duty to put all forms of publications (photos, films video, fieldnotest and articles or books) to the benefit of the (sub)culture involved. In this way the rapport which was built is based on true receprocity. Perhaps "taking pictures" started with the wrong verb: one must GIVE pictures, not TAKE them. Gerard (anthropologist/semiotician)