Getting To Know The People and Their Culture

Two years ago, I started joining other photographers on photography trips where we would travel out of town or out of country, get to know the place, people and culture and shoot them.  Before joining these, I always wanted to shoot landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes.  And because I usually shoot when I travel, these are the things that I would capture.  I also take photos to document.

But on these photography trips, I was challenged to take photos of the local people, of emotions, of culture, which meant I had to interact with them. I was never good in opening or even keeping conversations with strangers.  It felt awkward and I didn't know how to connect with them.  In order to capture them though, I had to be near them.  It can't always be candid.

Additionally, I never liked studio portrait shots.  I felt it was unnatural and thus, I stayed away from portraiture in general.  But this exercise opened my eyes to something new.  I learned that portraiture is not always about studio shots and is not always pre-planned.  I learned to capture people in their natural environment, as they do their work, as they plan, and even as they connect with you.  The key was being natural and authentic, no cover ups and no fixed poses.  Being in a natural environment also challenges us to make use of natural light.

The technicals were easy to learn, it was the people skills that was a challenge.  But by trying and practicing, I was able to unravel my ability to connect with people, especially children.  I knew that I had the knack for working with kids but it was always someone I knew, never with strangers.  And as I did more of the exercise, I felt more and more comfortable with it.

It's amazing how much one learns from these interactions.  It's not just about capturing them and their emotions or moments, but it's about the stories that get retained in my mind when I see the photos again.  In fact, it also changed the way I travel from being mere visitors with only scenes to take home to being personally immersed in the place and the people with experiences and stories in tow.

Here is a sample album of the portraits I've taken during my Bhutan Trip in 2014: