Azzi
member
Reged: 08/05/2006
Posts: 199
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Hello folks,
I`m an infrequent contibutor to the forum , however I thought I would share some experiences encountered during a recent work related visit to Marrakech. I was fortunate to have to spend a few days in the city so I thought I would make use of the visit to make a series of shots suitable for Module 10 - the subject was to be the Souks (markets) in the old city. I do not have a good compact camera so armed with digital SLR, I ventured into the warren of alleys and streets. I am very respectful of peoples privacy and always try to behave in accord with local beliefs and laws.
There were endless photo opportunities at every corner, however what really attracted me were the local people at work. This is where things became awkward. I spotted an elderly man in a tiny shop surrounded by hand decorated copies of the Koran - a stunning image. I introduced myself and asked if I could take a photo - he politely refused. This set the scene for the trip - sure, the younger locals and stall holders selling the tourist "tat" were happy to be photographed - however they lacked the character of the older more traditional vendors and craftsmen that I so wanted to capture. I did try to take some shots without asking but this was clearly not appreciated by some.
The following day I was taken to a Berber auction an hours drive from the city - once again I was told not to take any pictures of the men, although it was fine to photograph their animals!
So I feel this was a real lost opportunity, clearly my approch was wrong .
So how would forum users have approached this task, does anyone have similar experiences to relate??
Looking forward to some debate!
Regards,
Chris
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisnj2008/
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lisadb
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/09/2006
Posts: 1710
Loc: Staffs
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You could always try bribery and corruption!
But being serious, this is what puts me off photographing people, I just don't know how to go about asking them and probably lack the courage to do so (fear of rejection!  ) I've got a book at home about photoing people at their work - I'll see if it has any suggestions and get back to you.
Marrakech - what a great idea! When are WE going?  Lisa.
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wollemi - 'look around you, keep your eyes open and watch out' (Australian aboriginal word)
My Flickr page
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Teddy
enthusiast
Reged: 03/10/2007
Posts: 269
Loc: Northampton
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Quote:
You could always try bribery and corruption!
Worked for me in Bangalore! 
Asked if I could take a picture for a souvenir of my holiday and was paying 5 rupee for people’s time, most asked for 10 (20p) and we had a deal.
As well as considering peoples religion, I guess you also need to consider that they may believe you are working for the authorities or a competitor.
Teddy
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Teddy 'FRIPN' Edwards
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lisadb
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/09/2006
Posts: 1710
Loc: Staffs
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Hi Azzi,
the book I have is 'Beyond Portraiture (Creative People Photography)' by Bryan Peterson.
Some of the suggestions are, explain why you want to take someone's photo and tell the truth, use an interpretor/guide to help to you to talk to people in other countries, talk to your subject and ask them how they see themselves.
It's a very informative book and I ought to take the time to read it through.
I find that when I'm out with all my stuff quite a few people I've never seen before stop to chat - so perhaps I ought to ask them if I can take their photo while I have their attention.
Lisa.
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wollemi - 'look around you, keep your eyes open and watch out' (Australian aboriginal word)
My Flickr page
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Carole
member
Reged: 06/09/2006
Posts: 170
Loc: Hampshire
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I am sure I've read or heard somewhere that in some cultures, people think that taking a photograph of them will steal their soul. I might have completely made that up (in which case I'm going to look pretty silly  ) but I think it would take quite a large bribe to encourage someone who thought that to let you take a pic for a photo course!!!
I did a course earlier in the year where we spent half a day out in a city taking photos of complete strangers (didn't actually twig that was what I was signing up for, needless to say!!). It was quite an education, and a really positive experience (and probably the only way to get over those nerves - just dive in and do it over and over again!). I think out of maybe 12 or so on the course, only 1 pair had a negative reaction, from some dodgy looking geezers at the local market. And the funny thing is that I remember something about each of the people - their personality and the conversation we had - when the pics come up on my screen saver slideshow.
Carole
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Flickr Me
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Azzi
member
Reged: 08/05/2006
Posts: 199
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Carole, you are quite correct! -It was explained to me that this could be a reason why many people refuse to be photographed, I don`t think there is an easy way arround this.
Lisa- yep, bribery works, although it can be expensive! A snake charmer asked for money - I agreed (about70p) He adopted a very wooden pose with his pet snake, after a couple of shots he demanded more money! so I retreated. Also it was seen that cash was changing hands, I began to be pestered by local youths to take their photo - not quite what I had in mind! The picture of the snake charmer looks err.... very wooden!
I have to admit that I also feel uncomfortable about simply shooting images freely of people in public - maybe I just need to adopt a harder attitude!
Chris
(ps - Lisa , my name is not azzi - they were just random letters selected as a user name!)
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisnj2008/
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Carole
member
Reged: 06/09/2006
Posts: 170
Loc: Hampshire
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Quote:
I have to admit that I also feel uncomfortable about simply shooting images freely of people in public - maybe I just need to adopt a harder attitude!
Me too, and I'm not sure you really can do that in many situations these days. On the course that I did, and the tutor emphasised that we must do this, we explained what we were doing and asked permission first. I think it definitely helps if you're on a course, as that's fairly unthreatening (at least in the UK) and people feel like they're helping. But really, approaching people in an open, friendly and honest way seemed to do the trick (apart from the guys at the market!). It also helped us to build our confidence that we were doing it in pairs. So might be worth finding a mate, and just heading out there one day if you want to try that sort of photography.
Having done it once, I would definitely feel more confident about doing it again, even on my own. (Not that I'm planning on doing it again any time soon  )
Carole
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Flickr Me
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Bettina
Kein Titel
Reged: 12/02/2004
Posts: 4139
Loc: London
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Marrakech is a great place. People in the souks and the central square usually fall into two groups - those who get photographed for a living (eg water sellers) and those who don't want to have their pictures taken. As regards the second group, I don't really blame them. I don't want mine taken either. But then, it might be a good idea to get a good guide for the day who is able to approach those people you really want to take photos of. If we're talking elderly men (okay, women are out because of religion), you really have to bear in mind that they may only speak Arabic and/or French. Approaching them in their own language is 100 times easier than having a foreigner waffling in some crazy tongue brandishing a camera at the same time. Also, it might help to go there one day, talk to them, and then come back a day later with a camera.
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Bettina
http://www.vibrantpictures.co.uk
Vibrant Pictures on Flickr
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lisadb
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/09/2006
Posts: 1710
Loc: Staffs
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I'm glad we're discussing this. For mod 8 we have to take a close up of a person and I've been wondering who I could ask to pose and how I would persuade them. What I need is a volunteer - anyone willing? Lisa.
PS sorry Chris - I'm never sure if people prefer to be called by their name or their username. 
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wollemi - 'look around you, keep your eyes open and watch out' (Australian aboriginal word)
My Flickr page
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Azzi
member
Reged: 08/05/2006
Posts: 199
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Hi Bettina,
Some very good comments there.
You seem to have read the situation in Marrakesh the same as I did. One excellent suggestion is to hire a guide, something I never do, however it could have made the visit a whole lot more profitable. Still I have fond memories of the place and will be returning sometime next year.
Lisa - I used the tomato soup covered lips of my son and cropped to ensure the lips occupied the whole image. It was easy and fun to do and the image was very bold and colourful.
Chris
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisnj2008/
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lisadb
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/09/2006
Posts: 1710
Loc: Staffs
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Can I borrow him then Chris? The few relatives I have yell 'not on your life' at me and leg it.  Lisa.
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wollemi - 'look around you, keep your eyes open and watch out' (Australian aboriginal word)
My Flickr page
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Bettina
Kein Titel
Reged: 12/02/2004
Posts: 4139
Loc: London
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Quote:
Hi Bettina,
Some very good comments there.
You seem to have read the situation in Marrakesh the same as I did. One excellent suggestion is to hire a guide, something I never do, however it could have made the visit a whole lot more profitable. Still I have fond memories of the place and will be returning sometime next year.
On top of that you probably have to hand over some "coins"! 
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Bettina
http://www.vibrantpictures.co.uk
Vibrant Pictures on Flickr
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