Just Putting It out there

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InayatShah's avatar
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I think I need to put a couple of answers in my journal for easy reference, because I often  get two very specific types of comments on a lot of my attempts at photojournalism / documentary art.

You are NOT being polite when you take pictures of people without there permission.

Well recently CR Photography was gracious enough to interview me along side the amazing 1pen and siddhartha19

Photography Interviews: Photojournalism

In the interview, I do make it very clear,  that I understand that every time I point my camera at a stranger, it is an invasion of their privacy. I am being rude.  However my particular niche that I am trying to make for myself is photojournalism and documentary art. 

It would be nice to ask the person "may I take your picture" and they say "yes" and continue with the emotion or that particular moment of reality as if nothing happened.  But this is not the case, They don't, they become camera conscious and

(a) either they put on their camera face or (b) you direct them to pose or behave in some manner 

Thus the reality of the moment is gone .. It becomes a "created" image and the reality and truth of the moment is gone and the image no longer truely qualifies as photojournalism, in fact it becomes more a "modelling" situation.

I do not dispute that I am being rude and impolite, but if somewhere along the line, many years from now, somebody stumbles upon my photography, I hope that they would be able to get a small window into the reality of life and times here and now, or in fact even today, if somebody who has never seen visited pakistan, would be able to see the little joys and the turmoil of my country a little more realistically.  I feel in this day and age, this aspect is also important, where the international image of my homeland is so distorted and far from reality.   

The other remark is perhaps a percieved Lack of Empathy towards my subjects


The comment:   "While as you here take photographs in High powered cameras and upload them thru a Computer in an AC room that costs about 200$ per month just to show the world how these people live, Lovely day isn't it?:

The Image:

:thumb533620919:

What really is bothering you.. The fact I have worked hard all my life to be able to afford a decent camera, computer and have an airconditioner in my home.  Or the fact that I have chosen to try and share the realities of life, of the common man, of the majority here rather than present a myth of pretty pictures and sweep reality under the table as if it never existed.






© 2015 - 2024 InayatShah
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Salemik's avatar
You're on safe ground as far as I'm concerned. I see a lot of your stuff and it's always clear to me that you have good intentions and are merely showing the world as it is. I myself do not like being photographed much and this is most likely why I am reluctant to photograph others but also pretty sure that if I was better at it and quicker on the draw so that I could do it unnoticed I would :) A picture like the one of the boy you used to illustrate your article wasn't taken or used to bring shame on the boy and with any luck it might jog someones concience to help him.
 Images like these prove these people and situations exist. Not showing them won't help anyone.