ALL ROADS PRESO

Cameras and Cultures: The Myth of Objective Documentation

Background:

This panel discussion at Stanford University included Chris Rainer and Reza both photographers from the National Geographic Society, Andy Patrick whose organization “Fifty Crows” provides grant money for projects by documentary photographers, and four photographers from different countries telling their local stories: Andre Cypriano (Brazil), Marcela Taboada (Mexico), Sudharak Olwe (India), Neo Ntsoma (South Africa).

Chris Rainer from the Geographic introduced the panel of documentary photographers representing a new program the Geographic has started called, “All Roads”. It promotes the voices of local story tellers (photographers and videographers) in their native countries to tell “their own stories.” The Geographic wants to expand beyond sending western photographers to strange lands to come back with a story they observe. They want to include the voices of those who are living the story. The “All Roads” project hopes to communicate in the universal language of images “what it means to be truly human.”

The “All Roads” project also tries to match up local, in-country photographers with grant money. The “Fifty Crows” organization provided grant money for at least two of the photographers on the panel. As the “All Roads” group were on their way between exhibitions - Los Angeles already over and Washington D.C. coming up later this week September 29 to October 2, they stopped in at Stanford University to share their stories. They have also been invited to give their presentations to the United Nations.

Panel Members Comments:

Andy Patrick (grant provider) spoke about his organization “Fifty Crows” that combines photojournalism with social activism. He touched on the differences in focus when a photographer is acting as a “photojournalist” versus a “documentary photographer”. A photojournalist has to consider the pressures of deadlines, editors and the audience of the publication in the work. A documentary photographer is driven by self-motivated interest in a subject, building a better understanding for themselves and then communicating that understanding to others. The documentary photographer sees the story from more angles. However, Reza did not care to differentiate photographers by vocabulary or labels. Reza said that they are all photographers and some are just better story tellers whether you call them a photojournalist or a documentary photographer does not matter.

Marcela Taboada (Mexico) presented her photo essay, “Women of Clay.” Over a period of four years, she traveled four hours by car from her home to a mountain village where economic conditions have been very bleak. Local farmers cannot make a living there, so all the men have traveled illegally to work in the USA – leaving their women, children and elders to fend for themselves. The men sometimes return once per year to visit and provide money to their families risking two more illegal border crossings. The local priest was able to secure $1,700 per family from the Vatican to improve the condition of the families in the village. The twelve women featured in “Women of Clay” chose to re-build their homes that had fallen apart in disrepair. Her essay tracks the work of the women as they raise their families, run the village and build their homes with local materials: clay mud and cane. Marcela found herself drawn in by initial story of the money from the Vatican and then was led by her heart to discover more about these twelve women as their lives developed over the four year period.

Sudharak Olwe (India) presented his photo essay, “In search of dignity: the untold story of Mumbai’s conservancy workers.” Over a period of three years in which he often gave up from his own feelings of despair, he told the bleak story of the 20,000 “untouchables” – the government paid conservancy workers. They keep his home city clean by daily collecting garbage (including dead animals), cleaning gutters (often full of garbage), disposing of it, and managing the dump. These men and boys unclog sewers without special equipment or safety gear...not even gloves. In turn for their work, the government provides these workers pitiful wages and over-crowded housing (up to three families in one 10x10 hovel due to Government mismanagement). Due to hopeless living conditions, alcohol abuse, and lack of job safety, these men die at a very young age. Their meager paychecks go to subsistence living for their families, alcohol, and money-lenders. Sudharak’s goal with this essay is to put a human face on their conditions—to make these “invisible” people be seen.

Neo Ntsoma (South Africa) presented her upbeat (and the only color) photo essay, “South Africa Youth ID – Kwaito Culture.” Neo, whose name means “gift” in her native dialect, is part of the new vibrant, expressive, youth movement in South Africa. They celebrate the end of Apartaid (which means “to be apart”) and the beginnings of democracy through song, dance, clothes, sex, pride in appearance, and self-expression. In her experience, the music of the youth has transitioned from angry, to party, to now a show of pride in their resistance to oppression. Neo no longer sees the people of her country as “black” or “white” living separate lives. The youth of South Africa are all together focused forward on good economic opportunities and freedom of expression for all their people.

Andre Cypriano (Brazil) presented four photo essays which started with the prison known as the “Devil’s Cauldron” and then followed organized crime members there to their “favellas” (we would say “shanty towns” but they seem worse than that). The prison, now closed, became famous when the government housed political prisoners with criminals. An unforeseen development, the political prisoners taught the criminals how to organize themselves. These now organized criminals, once released, bred a new wave of very dangerous crime in Brazil. Rosina is a shanty town – one of these “favellas”. With special permission from the government, Andre spent 30 days living in this favella to capture his story. He contrasted this favella with another in Caracas. In most favellas, the people do not allow crack cocaine use or sale. They know it brings crime and then the police to their homes. The Caracas favella has suffered from crack use and it has led to many, many crime and violence problems. Andre’s goal is to have more people see his essays to better understand the stark contrasts between rich and poor living conditions in Brazil.

Reza (Geographic) shared his images of Afghanistan made over the past 20 years (since the invasion by Russia) and information about his project Aina. After capturing the images of war and destruction throughout his career, he has come to a new understanding. Paraphrasing…“All humans are part of the same body and if one part of humanity suffers – any where in the world – then the whole body suffers.”

The camera and photography is a language that anybody can understand. The images need no translation to convey their stories. Reza emphasized the importance of the photographer as a communicator through images. Photographer’s job is to show what is happening to start the process to stop what is happening. Observing humanity through photography communicates the story. Once the story is heard, something can be done about it.

No longer able to remain an observer, Reza has taken action in “Aina” to go beyond the repair of buildings in Afghanistan to heal the soul of the people experiencing 20 years of war. “Aina” empowers local Afghan women to tell their own stories through pictures and video.

Additional Comments During Discussion:

According to Reza, the good photographer will show an “intimacy” with the subject. You are not “taking their pictures, but they are giving you the pictures.” Also, your presence in the situation will change the situation…you cannot help but have some affect on the subjects with just your presence. Objectivity has limits.

After emphasizing that the Internet revolutionizes the distribution of images to preserve cultures, open dialogues and social commentary, Raines ended the panel Q&A session with his strong conviction that there is no such thing as “objectivity” of the photographer. Raines asked, “How can you watch people die and not be affected?” As the photographer evolves as a story teller, every image made is a self-portrait.

See some images:

Sample pictures from all four local story tellers in the All Roads exhibition

Photo essay “Rocinha - An Orphan Town” by Andre Cypriano

Photo essay “Women of Clay” by Marcela Taboada, Mexico

More information on the organizations:

About the All Roads project

About the Fifty Crows organization

About the Aina organization