Don’t Mind the Camera…

By anne137 On May 3, 2008 · 6 Comments

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As a traveler, I love taking photographs. While scenery and landscapes are well and gorgeous, my favourite pictures are shots of local people in everyday activities. To me, these photos are intimately telling of a culture; an old woman selling live eels in a market; men playing checkers in a shaded park; a row of urban scooter-drivers, each checking themselves in the mirror as the wait at a red light. These pictures offer insight into local behavior in a way that staged photos never could.

Of course, it isn’t easy to get these pictures. Most people don’t enjoy being photographed by strangers, and as a visitor to their country, one has to be careful not to cause offense.

I remember traveling in China last year and being photographed dozens of times by strangers on the street. Some approached me sweetly, some took candid shots. However, many people simply stood beside me and posed for photos, as though I were a statue or landmark. My foreign-ness was a novelty to them, and I tried to feel flattered by the attention. They meant no offense, of course. After a while, though, I felt commodified. These people often didn’t want to talk to me, they just snapped the photo and moved on. The experience got me worrying about my own travel photography habits. I worried whether my passion for human photography was invasive or insensitive, rather than curious and friendly.

Now, I try to get permission before snapping photos. I’ve learned that most people don’t mind posing for pictures (children usually adore it). But what about those great candid shots? The ones of people going about their day-to-day activities?

I’m still a bit puzzled as to where the balance lies. How can you be an explorative photographer without being an invasive photographer? If anyone has tips, I would love to hear them.

6 responses to Don’t Mind the Camera…

Julie Schwietert Collazo said on May 4, 2008

Anne-
I totally feel your ambivalence re. photography. I feel similarly, and end up with few, if any photos, of most places I travel. I think that Lola Akinmade (geotraveler) has written some of the best articles on this topic, and I second David’s suggestion to check these out.
Justin Landrum said on May 4, 2008

Anne – I think you’ve already won half the battle simply by being thoughtful. I’ve seen too many other travelers flash away without the slightest regard for offending their subjects – leaving me to feel embarrassed by association.

I completely agree with Noellejt’s advice: if you feel uncomfortable, then let the camera be and snap the photo in your mind. Being respectful in a foreign culture is more important than the novelty picture. On the other hand, if the 8-year-old boy driving the motorbike has already waved to you, wave back and snap away!
Eva Holland said on May 4, 2008

I generally ask for close-ups, and for candids I often rely heavily on a zoom…

Re: your China experience, it is funny how it wears on you, isn’t it! By the end of 3 weeks in India I was gritting my teeth to smile through every posed photo. When a man shook me awake on an overnight train to ask me to pose with his girlfriend, I’d had enough. I don’t know whether his English was good enough to understand a half-asleep, half-shouted “I am not a f*cking zoo animal!” – I kind of hope not…
Get Some said on May 3, 2008

Hey Anne,

Great question!

There are some great articles on [url=http://thetravelersnotebook.com/category/photography-q-a/]TheTravelersNotebook [/url]that speak to your question.

[url=http://thetravelersnotebook.com/photography-q-a/how-to-take-better-travel-portraits/]How Take Better Travel Portraits[/url] is particularly helpful.

Ben
Hal Amen said on May 3, 2008

Hey, Anne. I know there have been a lot of great photograph-related pieces posted over at the Traveler’s Notebook. Not sure if this exact issue has been addressed, but you can definitely find some great insights there.

In my opinion, as long as you approach each person and each situation with respect, things will usually work out.

Are you still living in Korea, or have you moved on?
Noelle Tankard said on May 3, 2008

Oh, this is an old debate… discussion… And, like all the important ones – no clear answer.

I think it comes down to a sort of “gut feeling” – you just come to know when it’s alright and when it isn’t, and try to listen to that – if you feel uncomfortable taking the picture or even taking your camera out, then don’t.

I always ask when I can – I’ve got a list of phrases that I look up/ask for immediately upon entering a country (hello, thank you, where is…?, very tasty, and may i?) – or at least wave the camera with a smile… Except then, of course, they tend to pose. It seems like the kids of each region have their own particular cheeky (and, in my opinion, utterly obnoxious) little hand gesture and older people often don’t like getting caught doing chores or household work – they want to look majestic… Sometimes, if I feel its a person that would like to be asked (ie, older person) I’ll take the candid first, then ask, and take the picture that they want me to take…

In a small town or a neighborhood where I know I’ll be for several days, I often don’t even take my camera out for the first several days – I let them get over the shock of having a tourist in their midst, first… it seems to help.

I always err on the cautious side. Photography is a minor sideline to me, when it comes to travel, and (being a HORRID candid subject myself – inevitably: mouth open, eyes shut, double-chinned, hand in front of face) I hate making people uncomfortable, so I usually don’t even try to get the shot… I just look at other people’s pictures and enjoy – they can struggle through the dilemma themselves!