Perhaps it’s the time of year and the time for looking back that has placed the word tenderness in my heart and on my mind. Holidays, combined with thoughts of re-birth with the coming new year keep thoughts of family and friends present.
I’ve been reviewing the year in pictures, both my own and the various collections spread all over the internet. One of the best compilations of images comes from The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/world/2009-decade.html#/intro. The ones that have stayed with me are the tender photographs. The subject matter, in the case of The New York Times photographs, is often fierce, but the approach has been gentle and the respect for the dignity of the subject apparent. These are the photos that I want to make in the coming year. I have several personal projects under way that will demand attention to this objective: A story of the Navajo families in Canyon de Chelly and the life of the farm workers and inhabitants of several Lusitano fazendas in Brazil. These will be challenging for me as I am unused to photographing people. I’m looking forward to the deeper connection that this will bring to my life and my relationships with family, friends, and community.
I wish you a very Happy New Year, with the blessings of good health and connection to loved ones. And for photographers and non-photographers…..in the words of Irving King and Harry Woods by way of Otis Redding, try a little tenderness.
I loved Otis Redding.
“Tenderness” is a word I don’t often think about but will now thanks to you. I wish it for all of us, as we go into the new decade.
Thank you, Keron, for crossing my path with cyber snow and actual glitter.
To life…honey
The people that I photograph always seem to look like themselves… Their true personality tends to show through in the photo, not necessarily what they want to see. To use your phrase, albeit modified, “I photograph as you are…”. That, I am sure, is a product of my overly direct personality (a defect I have learned to hide…). I am confident that your tenderness will prevail throughout your humanistic projects and that will be expressed in the images you create. I can’t wait to see them.
Our best to you in the New Year!
Riley
Hey there Keron,
The sincerity that you bring to your photography and your interactions with people will go a long way in making your up coming project a roaring success (as your other projects have been 🙂 ).
I am certain that you will connect with your subjects just as you have done with your horses and within a short time will start to bring out the true personality and inner being of whomever you are shooting.
Best of luck,
Wil