Wednesday, September 3, 2008

What I think is happening....

is not necessarily what is going on. And so I keep asking questions and try to learn as much as I can from people. I think that one of the most interesting challenges about photographing in another culture is to not jump to conclusions about what I see around me- so many times my own background causes me to make assumptions that just aren't true. And so when I pass the women selling roasted corn on the street (literally- sometimes steps away from heavy traffic) I hold my mind's tongue and try not to make up too many stories about what her life must be like, etc....
Of course this is what journalists are meant to do... dig below the surface and try and get the facts straight. Still, so often I find myself doing "street photography" here- a new experience that I really enjoy. In a way, taking random photos of striking details that I see day to day is like gathering all of my impressions into a sketchbook- these aren't the "real work," but I'm hoping that these photographs will help me later when I get down to working on a story in depth.



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