Photographers
Lila is typical of many of the young women in Tangra. If she endures hardship, she wears it lightly....
Gavin Gough
Lila is typical of many of the young women in Tangra. If she endures hardship, she wears it lightly. Whip smart, quick to laugh and keenly ambitious, she’s studying to be a police officer.
We began our impromptu street portrait session making a standard portrait but I have developed a habit of framing, focussing, shooting a couple of frames and then, whilst keeping the camera in position, looking around the side of the camera.
I find the camera can become a real obstacle, a barrier between me and the person I’m photographing. Re-establishing eye contact and smiling immediately dissolves that barrier and the resulting expressions invariably reveal more of a person’s real character.
My NGO colleagues and I returned the next day with a collection of prints as a small “thank you” to the people who had generously shared their time with us. It’s little more than a token of our appreciation but one that’s always received with delighted gratitude.
It is, without doubt, the favourite part of my job.
