Better to reject than be rejected!
In April 2009 I was engaged by the Naandi Foundation in India to photograph an inaugural coffee competition and then the area in which the judged coffee was grown, the Araku Valley, a tribal area. In the Hindu caste system, tribes rank below untouchables so these peoples' lives were grim, particularly once the British cut down the forests which sustained these people. The Naandi Foundation sought to improve the tribes' lot by turning them into coffee farmers which was possible given the high elevation of the tribal area.
In the brief time that I was in the Araku Valley I was able to photograph many villagers who associated me positively with the Naandi Foundation and therefore weren't reluctant to be photographed. The photos are good, distinct faces, unique nose jewelry worn by women, lots of colour.
So why have I lost interest in venturing into remote areas to photograph colourful people? The answer is that without living with them for months, all I can do as a photographer is be a grinning encouraging foreigner with a camera. There is no dialogue beyond the initial smiles and that's my frustration. Yes, I've gone beyond the stony faced suspicious look and avoided the coerced uneasy pose but I haven't been able to document the person at ease in their environment.
So until I am prepared to make a serious commitment, I'll stay fixed in Sydney where I am flat out photographing Hip Hop artists, unique creatures in that they seek me out to be photographed!
