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Lessons Learned On Assignment: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda
By David Duchemin
It took me 58 hours to get home from my last assignment. The curve-balls thrown at me by the airlines and the nature of this particular assignment have
led me to split this "Lessons Learned on Assignment" article into two pieces. The first part is about themes and stories within your images, while the
second includes some tips for those of you who shoot while traveling.
The Story Within the Still Image
On my better days, the heart of my images is the story. I try hard to create images that are compelling and do more than record a moment in time but rather,
capture a feeling, thought, or struggle. I get a lot of people who ask me to clarify this - after all, it's easy to tell a story in a movie or a book, but
to do it in one frame is much more difficult. So instead of thinking of a story in the sense of plot and conflict - though these exist even within one
frame - I think of a story in terms of themes.
Every story is about something. A movie or book is not about the plot; it's not about the characters that did this or that to overcome great odds while revealing
things about themselves. It's about love, jealousy, indifference, or power. It's about loneliness, hate or beauty - or the absence of any or all of these things.
The theme is the universal concept that connects all of us to the story without needing to have lived in those circumstances or that timeframe. It is the
commonality that we share that makes us human, and the differences that make us unique.
So the great task is learning to make images that are not merely of something, but about something. I discussed this briefly in my "Lessons Learned on Assignment:
India" article, but I'd like to expand on it here. The moment you begin creating images that make people feel something, or identify strongly with what is within
the frame, is the moment your image will begin to tell or emote a story. Begin thinking, or even making a list, of the great themes and emotions in the stories,
books and movies you find most compelling and then begin to shoot images that capture those things - with a gesture, a glance, a color, or even a relationship
between objects.
This is your homework: How can you communicate loneliness in an image? How can you communicate estrangement, intimacy, fear, or injustice? Ask yourself as you
capture your next image, "What am I trying to say? How do I want the viewer to think or feel when she sees this image?" Then ask yourself how you can make that
image even stronger. Can you cut something out, so the viewer feels a sense of greater isolation? Do you need to include an element with a warmer color? Can you
change your camera angle or position to make the two subjects appear closer or more distant from each other? Taking these questions into consideration will help
you develop the story behind your images which will create for an even better experience for you and your viewers.
Travel Tips
- Wear your sunscreen, wash your hands, and be careful what you eat - a sick photographer is a photographer who doesn't stay long in a creative space. To this end,
however, be warned: you will get sick eventually. In fact, I wrote part of this on a crowded bus in Ethiopia while my system absorbed loperamide, cyprocoflaxin,
and charcoal pills - I woke up with terrible stomach issues. Be prepared and don't count on a pharmacy being available or stocked. Bring Tylenol for headaches
and fevers; bring something for diarrhea; pack Pepto-Bismol, Cipro, and basic first-aid supplies. I also recommend carrying a sterile kit with sharps, scalpels,
and sutures - anything that's going to pierce the skin. By bringing your own kit, you prevent the risk of contracting hepatitis or HIV.
- Bring food. For me that means enough sugar (I'm diabetic), meal bars (Clif Bars are exceptional and very healthy), and snacks (trail mix, beef jerky). I also
bring instant oatmeal in single-serve packages. I can eat some dodgy stuff (I had guinea pig in Ecuador recently) but breakfast is the one meal where I don't
like surprises. Hot water and bowls are available everywhere.
- You can travel ultra-light or you can travel ultra-prepared. Pick one. If you choose to travel light, sacrifice your clothing, buy synthetics, etc. Decide
what you will sacrifice - sometimes it's better to travel light and miss some shots. For example, I'd love to bring a 300/2.8 lens on the road with me but
for the majority of my images I'd never use it and the weight and worry of the lens would get in the way of finding and shooting more important images. If
you think there is a chance you will need your flash or your tripod, bring it, unless bringing it will cut your options. I have lugged my Gitzo tripod
everywhere I have gone, sometimes I never use it, sometimes I wouldn't have the shot without it. It's a small carbon fibre model but is sturdier than any
of the larger aluminum beasts I used to lug around, and it's a fraction of the weight of the others. Be wise in what you bring, and find the best compromise
between being prepared and traveling light.
- Assume your travel plans will go wrong and plan for it. Bring enough in your carry-on luggage that you can get by while you endure delays or wait for your bags
to catch up with you. For example, don't pack your power cable in checked luggage and your laptop in your carry-on, unless you have a creative way of powering
the laptop after both your batteries die! Membership in a frequent flyer club pays off when things go wrong and everyone else is lining up at the customer
service counter. Several times now I have walked into the executive lounge and because my traveling grants me gold status, they tended to me quickly and without
waiting in line with angry customers outside. It's not an elite thing, it's just smart. Many airlines allow you to buy membership in the club and it's usually
money well-spent.
- Keep your memory cards safe. Lexar cards all come with a plastic case - use it or buy a card safe or wallet. My Lexar cards are pretty bomb-proof but the dust,
water, humidity and grime that gathers at the bottom of my pockets or my backpack is not ideal for them. When switching cards I always remove my full card and
place it upside down in my card wallet indicating that it is full, I then pull out an empty card, place it in the camera, re-format it, and put the card wallet
safely back in its pocket. The same procedure every time and the same pocket every time guarantees I won't re-format a card full of valuable images, and
guarantees my cards are always in the same place and safe from the junk that could harm them.
David duChemin welcomes your input and questions. You can reach him by email at: info@pixelatedimage.com.
David Duchemin Bio
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