Every so often someone approaches me with a project idea and I can’t quite say yes. Something’s missing. Rather than blindly dismissing it, I have started to explore this missing space.
This is where my inner child comes in, that pestering little voice that keeps asking… but why?… But why?… and ultimately, why?!
So often the why’s trip me up, when you’re really honest about them you start to get to the core of what a project is all about, and it’s impact on the people involved. In a world with so many deep societal and environmental issues that need our urgent attention, can we really afford as creatives to work on projects just because they’re ‘interesting’? Who is really gaining from this project, when we’re really honest, the people we’re working with or the photographer? Is this just shameless self promotion?
Photography can often feel voyeuristic, in extreme cases exploitative. When we explore issues such as homelessness, refugees and poverty, all issues that need discussion, how often do we stop and think about how our project affects the people we are photographing or interviewing? Opening up to photographers and journalists can be a deeply personal experience and leave open wounds of vulnerability. It can also be empowering, if approached in the right way. Sharing your story with others can enlighten and inspire, and help us realise that we all have something to say and an important place in this world. But it’s our responsibility to ensure it’s the latter, and that the process benefits the individuals we are working with as much as the wider society. If not, then we are sitting firmly in the exploitation camp.
I’m currently working with someone whose writing I am in awe of, to develop a process of working that fills this missing space, removes the voyeuristic side of photojournalism and creates space for authenticity and empowerment. To do that I’m being a child again, asking why and why again. As creatives we are in a powerful position to evoke emotional responses that don’t diminish or pity, but that empower, and nudge spirals of change upwards. Let’s use this power wisely.
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