The Zebra Monochrome Magazine Issue #1 The Zebra Monochrome Magazine Issue #1 | Page 121

How do you approach people to
photograph? or do you merely observe?

the camera - they are too busy having fun
and laughing with us and at us.

Laughter and mutual respect. You cannot
get the same intimacy in your photograph
by just observing. You have to interact and
be part of their surrounding. First of all, I
always hire a local guide from the area and
we spend days in an area getting to know
the people and to live among them. I also
pantomime very well when we can’t find a
local guide and have a lot of laughter with
the locals. I am not afraid to make a fool
of myself or laugh with them at myself.
My wife always travels with me and she
brings all sorts of funny things with her.
She always bring a portable printer and do
portraits for the locals wherever she goes
and when we were in Papua New Guinea,
she brought a modern knife sharpener with
her to help sharpen the knives of the locals;
kites on the Tibetan grassland for the kids,
marbles in PNG etc. Things that really help
break the ice. Eventually they forget about

Do you feel intrusive? Do people feel
nervous when you point the camera at
them?
Everyone feels intrusive and nervous when
a camera is pointed at them. Same thing
as the first question - respect and laughter.
Often times, they are as curious about us as
we are of them.
Do you feel threatens at times when people
don’t want to be photographed? How do
you deal in those situations?
I will push the envelope a bit to get my
photograph, but if someone really does not
want to be photographed, then you have to
respect their wishes.

© Larry Louie http://www.larrylouie.com/