Ice-breaker or hindrance?
Your camera can be both, writes Salliza Salleh
AS I travel our borderless globe, I discover more and more of other cultures with my camera. It is always fascinating to learn about different people. Recently, I was in Kalash Valley, Chitral, Pakistan with five photographer friends. We intended to learn more about the Kalash people. This ancient ethnic group lives in the remote mountains of Northern Pakistan, and there are 3,000 of them left.
They reside between the mountains of the Hindu Kush. Their homeland is inhospitable and life is not easy, yet these isolated people have survived for centuries.
They are the non-Muslim minority in Pakistan. The women and girls of Kalash dress in colourful black robes with striking necklaces and heavily beaded headgear.
How do we photograph people of a different culture with courtesy and respect? A camera in our hand could either be an ice-breaker tool or a hindrance to get closer to our subject.
Here are five general don’ts when approaching people of a different culture to take photos:
1. DON’T BE ARROGANT: If you have even a slight trace of arrogance, this type of photography is not for you. Different cultures have different sensitivities. In this case, you need to adhere to those rules, beliefs or values.
Being insensitive is rude. Don’t expect a sweet, warm welcome when you are rude. Spend time researching the culture of the place you are visiting prior to your trip.
In this photo, I captured a woman from Bumburat smiling while joking with her family. She opened her home to us and served us chai and sweet dried fruits. Moments captured in a friendly environment feel more intimate and engaging.
2. DON’T GO EMPTY-HANDED: Agiftisan effective ice-breaker, a tool to start a conversation. Do research on the gifts acceptable for the culture.
When I visited the tribes of Omo Valley, Ethiopia, soap bars brought a wide smile to the women. In Nepal, children love pens and pencils. We brought cute pens, pencils, notebooks and decorative ink stamps during our visit to Kalash Valley and the children loved it. Reciprocal kindness creates satisfying friendships.
In this photo, we built trust and friendship with Rajikul, 11, before my friend Rafiza Rahman captured her posing comfortably inside her home.
3. DON’T BE A PAPARAZZI: A greedy aggressive paparazzi-like photographer will create an untrustworthy environment and scare off his subject. Blend in with the crowd and relax.
Being busy with your big bulky cameras and lenses, flashes and reflectors, etc will kill the moment. Even the friendliest subject will get bored if you are too engrossed with your equipment.
As we walked along the alleys around Bumburet Village, we captured the routine life of the Kalash people. In this photo, Mohd Firdaus Zulkefili captured this photo of young Kalash children doing their daily chores.
4. DON’T BE IGNORANT: Should I ask permission to photograph people or should I not? It depends on the situation. If I see moments that I like, I will observe and capture them quickly. If my subject notices me, I will smile and indirectly ask permission, with a wink or a hand gesture. Most of my meaningful photos occurred at totally unexpected moments. You can always politely ask. Most of the time you’re going to get a polite answer in return, even if it’s a “no”. Respect the answer and move on.
Hire a good local guide who speaks the language. It makes communications much easier. We were lucky during this trip as the owner of our homestay, Bhutto, accompanied us walking around his village in Bumburet. This is a family photo of him captured by my friend, Meng Keat.
5. DON’T BE SELFISH: If you go in as a team, then work as a team, especially when you are visiting a sensitive isolated tribe. Customs vary from places to places. Each team member plays a different role. A single mistake made by one may affect the rest of the team members. Make sure that each member is well-briefed about the customs or any special restriction that they need to be aware of.
In this photo, team leader Mohd Irman Ismail set his camera on timer and captured our group photo with host Bhutto, local guide Raji Ahmed and police escorts. Stick together, work as a team, listen to the leader, pray for that lucky “it” photo and indulge in the rich moment of living as a traveller.