30 hours is a small project conceived mainly to keep my mind occupied during a long 30-hour trip by ship. I was intrigued by the idea of how creative one could be in such a confined space (the ship was really small) and with patterns and people repeating themselves. It turns out it was a very challenging self-assignment, although I found people to be much more accepting of the camera’s presence than in typical street photography. I enjoyed making this small project for two reasons; firstly, although you will recognize the same spot in different photographs, the emotions they generate are completely different. This is the power of perspective in photography and a useful notion to reflect on, that is, how far can we go in rearranging similar elements to create something interesting before it becomes a cliche? The second point is the sense of acceptance I received by the people on the ship; it makes one wonder why people exhibit so different behaviors in front of the same medium and in what extent is street photography dependent on the environment it takes place, especially when it comes to people’s reactions. Just thoughts I took with me as I disembarked but still pondering over them.
This series of images is a tribute to hard-working people. I would regularly go out and shoot at night, so I wanted to capture the struggle of those who keep the city moving when the rest of us call it a day. An office junkie myself, I always had great appreciation for people who could actually create something with their hands and would be out there making a living in often challenging circumstances.
Shadows and harsh light, leading lines and silhouettes, interesting faces or funny juxtapositions. It’s really hard to define what street photography is and, to me at least, a definition is not that important. What is important in this form of art, is to embrace the candidness that unfolds in front of our lenses and -before pressing the shutter button- to ask ourselves “what am I trying to convey here? What is my story?“. If there would be one rule to consider, is ethics. Respect the people you photograph and don’t take their picture if they don’t want to.
Strong geometrical elements, leading lines, and negative spaces were employed throughout the series of these images. They serve as a guide to the eye of the viewer and they isolate the subject from its surroundings. I find images combining the strong geometrical elements of the urban environment and the human factor extremely satisfying. It is probably the symbiosis of these deterministic patterns and the fluidity of people that creates the desired balance in such images.
