Is it necessary for photographers to keep an emotional distance from the subject?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
On intrusion of private moments
I went to my very first baby shower over the weekend and also brought my camera with me, thinking I can try to capture a range of emotions of my friend who is pumped up with hormone, as she opens gifts from family and friends. When the moment came, as she unfolded item after item of beautifully preserved baby clothes of her own, saved lovingly by her mother over the past 30 years, all carefully ironed and wrapped with tissue paper, I saw the tenderest expressions on the mother and daughter in all those years I knew them. And I couldn't bring myself to click the shutter of my camera and ruin the moment (at least this is my excuse for not being able to turn in a single good photo from this occasion).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You have to think about it from the other side- had you taken the picture and captured the emotion of the moment- they would have had an amazing memory in print to look back on forever. You would not have ruined the moment but frozen it in time.
ReplyDeletei think you must engage your subject but also find the necessary physical and emotional distance to put the camera between you and the subject. it is a fine line........ but ask yourself: what are your intentions? let that inform the way you approach the situation.
ReplyDelete