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Once you can focus, learn this…
October 21st, 2008
There are skills a photographer needs beyond just an ability to compose, focus, and expose. The more I shoot these international assignments out on the field for NGOs, the more this becomes abundantly clear. Here are the things that immediately come to mind.
1. This kind of work requires total flexibility – things never go as planned and they often throw curve balls at you. We had a “light 2 hour hike” to a village turn into a very tough hike up a mountain, some of it in total darkness. The next day transit workers went on strike and blocked the bridge we needed to cross to get home. We flew to the terai and instead of cooler Kathmandu temperatures it was blisteringly hot. Oh, and the hotel was really grungy. It’s all part of the adventure, so carry extra granola bars, a headlamp, a silk sleeping bag liner, and an extra t-shirt. What you carry for contingencies will differ with each trip and the more you travel the more you’ll learn to forsee this stuff, but the more prepared you are, and – here’s the important part- the better your attitude when things don’t go your way – the better able you will be to remain positive, creative, and get the job done.
2. This kind of work requires patience – priorities and modes of communication are different the world over – if you’re to work here and not lose your mind and piss off your associates, you need to be patient. Relationships with field staff, hotel workers, and others are important – especially for your client. You get to leave in a week or two, but your client has to deal with the fall-out if you piss people off. So be patient, be kind, roll with things.
3. This kind of work requires an ability to collaborate. I had another excellent producer/fixer/client all-in-one on this trip. She knew the communications needs of the NGO better than I ever could – to be able to collaborate with your people is crucial. Yes, you’re the photographer and you know how to tell the story, but they know the story better, so listen to them and work together.
4. Things go wrong. One of my Canon 5D bodies died for no apparent reason. It just cacked out. I lost a Think Tank card wallet with about 30GB of Lexar CF cards in, I think it was lifted while I was in Old Delhi (not the first time that’s happened, ask Matt Brandon about his cell phone sometime.). In Ladakh we had problems with batteries. If I didn’t have a second 5D body, or another card wallet with half my CF cards in it, or extra batteries, I’d have been sunk. Being a professional means being prepared for conceivable eventualities, and rolling with it.
Here, Here! Well said. I once made a “30 min” walk to a waterfall to go swim, also in Nepal. I arrived, after 2 hours, only to find a dead and decomposing dog floating in my swimming spot. Nothing goes as planned.
Belt and braces at work again! Glad that all that pre trip planning paid off.
Have you had chance to work out what happened to the 5D yet?
Yes david, we can have the best L-serie lenses and a lot of knowledges on composition, if we don’t know how to listen to people and deal with contingencies, we’ll always shoot crap !!
travel photography is about listening and communication…
thanks for these thoughts david.
Hi David,
That’s all really good advice, and I think in some ways applies to people just traveling in those countries – they’re unpredictable and crazy, so you just have to roll with the punches. But, it’s all part of the adventure right?
I did have one question for you. When you’re traveling in ‘dangerous’ places, do you feel conspicuous carrying around an expensive camera? Do you take any measures to protect your gear while you’re on the street (or even in your hotel). I’ve got a 7 month trip through Mexico, Central America and South America coming up and I want to make sure I do things right. We’ll be staying in hostels too, which adds another element into the mix. I’ll be carrying a camera body, 2 lenses, my Macbook and a bunch of accessories.
Thanks, and good luck with the rest of your trip – it sounds like an amazing adventure!
Bay
Bay – That’s a good question. In short, a little paranoia goes a long way but don’t let it stop you exploring and shooting. Yes, it’s all part of the adventure.
Here’s what I do. First, I tape up my cameras and junkify them a little. Gaffer’s tape works well. It also helps that my cameras are no longer very new looking. Second if I am not carrying them on my person and shooting, they’re in holsters with me, or locked in either my large Stormcase which is then cable-locked to something big, or in my Think Tank Airport Addicted with a large PacSafe protecting it.
If I were doing a trip as you describes I’d be getting a backpack that holds my stuff and allows me to carry it everywhere. I don’t love the idea of leaving things like laptops in a hostel. You really aren’t carrying that much gear – you should be fine. Look into Pacsafe products – especially the theft-proof/slash-proof backpacks – there might be a solution in there for you.
Hope this helps.
Great points. Something that is not noted but I think should be included in every pack, is a field medical kit. The one I tote is 1 lb, 4 oz. Size is 7.0″ x 7.0″ x 2″. Called Savvy Traveler Zone B. It includes items for suture syringe, wound management, blisters, bandages, etc.
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com
From personal experience, carrying one of these is critical.
Willy.
[...] Once you can focus, learn this… | PixelatedImage Blog "There are skills a photographer needs beyond just an ability to compose, focus, and expose. The more I shoot these international assignments out on the field for NGOs, the more this becomes abundantly clear. Here are the things that immediately come to mind." (tags: photography photojournalism tips) [...]