Where people know you…

Last night was quite interesting. The second rain fly was ripped up from its stakes last night and the rain came in our little tent… a lot of rain.

After a little morning rain, the day cleared – at least enough for some boat time. It was good to be back out on the islands.

We took to the islands, talking to the fishermen and their families.

The skies still held their ominous sheen from the previous night’s excitement, but Jerome – the captain of our little wooden skiff – handled the unstable seas like a champ.

Its all about relationships. Photography and photojournalism specifically requires relationships.

I once upon a time believed that photojournalism was about just completely removing yourself from the situation and photographing as a completely objective observer. For news stories and shooting street images or other such things, that is completely still true.

But for stories and essays like this, it requires close relationships – trust and acceptance from the subject. In situations like this in places that are far from the typical tourist routes, a white traveler is a novelty. And a white traveler with big cameras and lots of questions bring the whole village.

The relationships and trust built by spending time and interacting makes you become part of the scenery after even a short while.

Acceptance and comfort and trust. Its paramount to performing my job as a photojournalist.

Access. Access to the quiet moments…

…and the places and things rarely seen by outsiders.

Remember the conch divers yesterday? In this area today the seas were rougher, but…

…Philip and I spent time out on the wave breaks helping the divers harvest the little shelled creatures… with the D300 and a Nikkor 35/2 floating behind.

There’s a beauty in the fisherman’s world.

Its simple and honest and as if the islands are locked in time hundreds of years in the past.

While our world seems smaller every day with ultra-high speed internet and cars that almost drive themselves, the smallest the world might ever seem to most of these children is the beachball given to them by a passing tourist staying at one of the $300/night hotels.

Stay tuned,
-Noah D.

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