Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Cape Town, South Africa



My initial idea for the Professional Practice brief, whilst on the trip of a life time to Cape Town in South Africa with the University in early October, was to over come my fear as a documentary photographer in taking photograph's of people from a different culture.

My previous ethical practice within this genre has been where the people I have photographed have been aware of my presence and subsequently been asked permission - for example when I documented Freestyle Dancing in early October 2010, - http://joannestudholme.blogspot.com/2010/11/photojournalism-past-reveals-present.html,
however within South Africa I wanted to over-come my fear of photographing people without necessarily asking their permission beforehand to capture a true recording of the scene set before me AND also in some cases having the confidence to ask a foreign stranger if they wouldn't mind me taking their photograph so to indulge in conversation and socially learn about a fellow human beings different lifestyle to that of my own.

On the trip along with the lecturer's were further photography students from both the College and University Centre. This proved an even bigger challenge to myself to feel comfortable in taking photographs whilst so many other photographer's where taking photographs of a similar scene especially when we visited the poverty stricken townships.

Time and time again at the townships whilst the majority of the team where photographing instantaneously without a thought whether what we were doing was right or wrong at the masses of children that surrounded us I began questioning myself "Is this ethical?"

Regardless to my personal beliefs and after taking time to become a little more at ease after watching my fellow colleague's I began to join in and take photographs, the children where quite happy to be in front of our camera's so this relaxed my initial reaction and view. However I still felt that I was unable to make any kind of connection to any of the children I was photographing due to the many of us photographing at the same time.

Below are a selection of my photographs captured whilst we where travelling through the townships on a coach with Uthando Tours http://www.uthandosa.org/ and subsequently my photographs captured on both my DSLR and Film Camera whilst having a little freedom to roam within a small community area of a township.
















Images taken within the Township















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