Interview
Olga Michi’s Vulnerable project involved photographing indigenous people around the world. Steve Fairclough spoke to her about shooting it…
_ Photographer, filmmaker and presenter Olga Michi spent three years photographing indigenous people around the world for her Vulnerable project – we talk to her as the book of the project is published
With a CV that boasts the titles of photographer, documentary filmmaker, writer and TV presenter, it’s clear that Olga Michi is a woman of many talents. Her latest ‘production’ is the book Vulnerable, which was shot in three key areas of the world – the south (in the Omo Valley in Africa), the east (in southeast Asia) and the north (with the Chukchi people who live in the Chutotka Autonomous Okrug region, partly within the Arctic Circle).
The book shows dozens of portraits of indigenous people shot in their natural habitats, with the objects or adornments that they have (often on their bodies) or chose to include. The title Vulnerable is partly meant to reflect the ways in which the indigenous people of the world are vulnerable – for example, loggers encroaching deep into the Amazon jungle, or rising sea levels threatening the existence of island people. But it’s also meant to prompt a question about our attitudes to indigenous people and how often such people are filed as ‘developing’ when, in fact, they are human beings who happen to come from a different culture and way of life.
What circumstances led to you having an interest in photography?
I have always been eager to learn about the world. A particular interest in studying the cultural diversity of our planet encouraged me not only in the journey around the world, but also in my life. Like many young people, for as long as I can remember, I believed there were different fields beyond the modern Western society.
Over years of travelling, I was lucky to see the unique corners of the world: the Nile Delta, the vast African steppes, the densely forested hills of the Central African Republic, New Guinea, Myanmar, Venezuela, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico. I’ve been to the far north. I submerged into Arctic waters at the North Pole geographical point. I also dived with white sharks, killer whales and other whales, giant octopuses and Nile crocodiles. I was within arm’s reach of gorillas and brown bears. But, most importantly,
Opposite: To the Karo and Surma tribes, the most important of the minerals in which the banks of the Omo are rich are those that they crush into powder, then mix with animal fat or water to yield the vivid colours – white, red and yellow – used to paint their faces and bodies. This is done for any number of purposes: as a ritual to initiate a person into a new stage of their life, as a way to display bravery, or to attract a partner. Some of the conventions to which the adults adhere are passed from generation to generation and go back to prehistoric times: red often symbolises energy and fertility, while white provides the background that indicates the purpose of the ritual of which the painting is a part. Identical patterns are used on the faces and bodies of lovers or inseparable friends.
I lived among the aborigines and observed their way of life, from the Kalahari Desert to the Arctic tundra.
Over the years, I have seen the amazing diversity of our planet and its inhabitants, and I have collected unique evidence of the wisdom, talents and value of other cultures that we have historically looked down upon. It is no wonder that I picked up a camera and tried to express what I have seen, as well as my personal view of the problem of the cultural clashes.
Do you have any visual inspirations or photographers you admire?
My undoubted favourites in photography are Jeff Wall, Andreas Gursky, Gregory Crewdson and
Cindy Sherman. They have enriched photography with expressive techniques using new technologies.
It should be noted that I’m inspired not only by photographers but also by contemporary artists. I am sure it is no good focusing only on photography, but rather on all the latest in the arts.
Do people commission you, or is it more a case of pursuing personal projects?
Nowadays, modern art using photographic technologies requires a lot of knowledge. To express our creative intent, we need high-end professionals. Therefore, today it is teamwork under the leadership of the author. The same principle works in documentary film directing. I find stories or unusual characters, look for ways to implement the intent from an idea to a finished product and select a team to create a high-class product. My permanent team consists of five people.
Do you have a favourite place where you’ve photographed?
I have special feelings for Africa. For me, this is a peculiar place on Earth. I feel peaceful there… comfortable. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, densely populated by unique indigenous peoples. Studying the traditions, cultures and systems of relationships built in tribal groups prompted me to shoot something special, new, and currently important.
I chose Ethiopia, the Omo River Valley, for a reason. Scientists call this place ‘the Cradle of Humankind’, and there is a concentration of human genetic and lingual diversity to rival anything on Earth. It would be hard to find a better place to perform the southern part of the Vulnerable project.
Can you tell us more about your creative thought processes for your portraits?
I wanted to express the main idea of the project, while using visual techniques in painting, thereby uniting the cultures of different nations. For this purpose, I used a black background and special lighting.
What are your biggest challenges while photographing portraits in distant locations?
Building trusting relationships with the subjects of the photo sessions. It was very important for me that the ‘characters’ of the photo sessions clearly understood what we were doing and why. The characters decided
“Each community is special, and the approach to each of them should be unique”
themselves what pose to appear in when in front of the camera, and what items to hold in their hands.
That is why, in the photos, we do not see a homogeneous and anonymous mass: these are groups of people, and these people are not helpless at all. Some of them wear trophies or animals captured while hunting; others appear with weapons in their hands and even on motorcycles. Others have traces on the body – the imprints of their difficult life experiences or cultural backgrounds. Each body and face reveals a rich and unfathomable inner life, and testifies to their stiff character and willpower.
What is the most surprising or dangerous event that has happened during your shoots?
Over years of travelling, I’ve developed a knowledge and humility system based on the experience of studying cultures. Now it is very easy for me to find common ground with representatives of indigenous peoples. I know many guides who are respected and welcomed by the tribes. I know how to avoid a conflict, and if it has occurred, to find words and actions in order to get to ‘smooth water’.
Of course, each community or each region is special, and the approach to each of them should be unique. But there are also general rules that apply not only there, but also in large cities.
In terms of lighting your portraits, do you have any usual set-ups?
I used Aputure Amaran LED video panels for lighting. I worked with an assistant. All the schemes for setting the light were tried and tested in advance. It was impossible to use other types of light.
My main task was not to frighten or discomfort the subjects of the shoots. Needless to say, it was much more difficult to work with such lighting considering that we had only two minutes for each subject. There were too many people who wanted to have their picture taken, and we couldn’t refuse anyone. Our subjects weren’t professional models; it was challenging for them to sit still.
In total, more than 55,000 photos were taken. It was extremely difficult to work at such a pace, at temperatures above 42°C, with such heavy panels. But the result was worth it.
Has your approach to shooting portraits changed as you’ve travelled around the world more?
As I got insight into the cultures of these people,
I had the opportunity to find more expressive means to embody my ideas – namely, to focus on more important details when shooting portraits. Therefore, elements of Western civilisation play a great role in my portraits. After all, the idea is to show the result of the interaction of global
“I have collected evidence of the wisdom and value of cultures we have historically looked down upon”
and local cultures, as well as to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of this result.
Why have you called the book Vulnerable?
The main theme of the Vulnerable project is the interaction of the global world and the culture of ingenious peoples. I want the title to prompt us to consider our shared vulnerabilities. If these photographs insist that the lines of vulnerability run both ways, if they try to destabilise the conventional relationship between ‘modern’ viewer and ‘primitive’ subject, they also remind us of something else: that a danger to one of us is a danger to all.
One of the key missions of Vulnerable is to preserve cultural diversity. There are a lot of things we can learn from each other. It’s another goal to take a deeper look at ourselves. In this project, vulnerability is not just one ethnic group being vulnerable in the face of inevitable global changes. It is rather related to the complex issue of human self-identity in the modern system of values.
Most of the subjects in Vulnerable appear to be shot in a similar style – were you going for a certain look?
In the Vulnerable project, I focused not on personality, but on typology. And so each subsequent work complements the previous one. “For three years, in three locations, I took about 55,000 photos. The final project included 150”
What I aspire to discover isn’t one particular person’s traits of character, but the daunting problems of the modern world. At the same time, I wanted to maintain my own style.
How long did it take to shoot the work for
Vulnerable?
The shooting project took three years, and it took another year to work on the book.
Can you explain the image selection for the book? How many images did you end up with, and was it a difficult process to edit them down?
For three years, in three locations, I took about 55,000 photos. The final project included only 150 works. Selecting photos is always a complicated process, especially when you like some images but you need completely different ones for the project.
Are you happy with the book? If so, why?
I really like our book. It is excellent – comprehensive, filled with interesting information, wisdom, and a philosophical view of the problem of the interaction between the culture of global world and indigenous peoples. It demonstrates both the weaknesses and strengths of the interaction.
In the book, I could fully express my creative idea through modern design, eloquent texts and highquality printing. This is an extensive teamwork.
I still can’t believe that so many people have taken the main topic of my research to heart.
If anyone were thinking of buying the Vulnerable book, how would you describe it to them?
The book makes the reader reflect on important aspects of modern life, which are often overlooked by the people. The book also offers the possibility to fully assess the culture of small nations. And the main thing is that it makes us think about who is really vulnerable in our world: those looking at us or us looking at them.
Vulnerable is a very high-quality book, including hundreds of photographs, and not only asks serious questions. It is filled with philosophical texts dedicated not only to tribes and ethnic groups, but to all of us. The world is changing dynamically, and the time comes when everyone has to answer important questions for themselves.
Has the digital camera era helped or changed your photography and your way of working?
The up-to-date camera and subsequent computer technologies made it possible to achieve an expressiveness that film technology would not have provided. The world is rapidly evolving, technologies are developing, and the market of contemporary art is also growing.
Do you do the post-production of your images? If so, can you please explain how it is done?
Today, post-production in photography and, in particular, in my photographs, is an integral part of team creative work. The goal of my project is not to achieve a documentary reportage, but to express a creative concept. Therefore, one of the creative techniques is working with colour on the computer. In this project, we had to perform deep background cleaning, improving the image definition and refining certain items.
What is your current kit bag for shooting portraits?
I shot the Vulnerable project mainly with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. I used 70-200mm f/2.8L, 50mm f/1.4 and 24-105mm f/4L lenses and three Aputure Amaran Tri-8C LED panels. The equipment resolution was sufficient for print sizes of 70 x 120cm.
In four years, improved and technically friendly cameras have appeared. Today I’m shooting with a Sony Alpha 7R, using Carl Zeiss lenses. I shot for the new art project Deity’sLikeness with a 55mm f/1.8 ZA lens. The size of one printed work was from 120 x 167cm and bigger.
I shot this project in a specially equipped studio, which could also be quickly disassembled and assembled at the shooting locations. I also used four LED panels. The selection of equipment for shooting highly depends on the task and the expected size of a printed work.
What advice would you give to young, aspiring travel photographers for shooting portraits and working on location?
I would advise them to get an in-depth insight into the culture of the peoples you plan to shoot. Find the right guides. Plan the time needed to build relationships with the tribe members. It is necessary to discuss with the guides the details of the shooting, possibilities and prohibitions, accommodation, gifts and remuneration in advance. It is very important to use the proper equipment and even outfit.
What’s next for you in terms of your photographic or film projects?
My new Deity’sLikeness project, which is essentially a conceptual continuation of the Vulnerable project, has already been completely shot. Until the end of April, it is on display at the International Art Center in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The project presents 96 works
“What I aspire to discover isn’t one person’s traits of character, but the problems of the modern world”
in the 120 x 167cm format, including various means of expression used, which, in their multimedia synthesis, reveal what the deity is, and how the idea is transformed under the influence of social and cultural changes.
The works are based on photographic images of existing masks, sculptures and headdresses, which have been made in the times from the primitive era to the present. In addition to photography, even more effective visual means used in the Deity’s
Likeness project are high-tech computer processing tools, especially those based on digital neural network algorithms. These tools are used not only to express the author’s particular idea, but also to introduce rhythms, textures and colour combinations – the outcome of computer calculations – into the structure of the final work. Conceptually, this plays an important role, allowing us to look beyond the human perception of the world and raise the question of new concepts of the deity in the artificial intelligence era.
Also in March 2021, I released the documentary My Friend Yeti. The film Miserables, shot in Chukotka and telling about an intra-family conflict, is still in postproduction. It also reflects the idea of showing the consequences of the clash of global and local cultures. I am already deeply involved in shooting a new project, which will be no less interesting, both conceptually and visually.
Above: One sign of the unconscious condescension with which we in the ‘developed’ world often view indigenous peoples is our assumption that they continue in their traditional ways only owing to a lack of access to modern innovations. In fact, traditional Chukchi leather and fur garb are often better suited to the extreme conditions in which they live than anything modern technology has to offer.
Left: Though perhaps not to the same degree as our own in the west, the fashions of indigenous peoples are always developing and changing. Once nearly all Chukchi clothing was made from leather and fur, and a child’s hat perhaps from otter or wolverine paws. But there is a new trend for colourful modern materials that often come from far away – China, in many cases.
“I am already deeply involved in shooting a new project, which will be no less interesting”