‘Take these hands, teach them what to carry’
i saw muslims worrying their prayer beads, lips moving soundlessly. I saw talibés with their tomato cans, mostly empty. i saw a porter carrying flats of eggs balanced impossibly atop his head. i saw women carrying babies; cats, chicken bones and i saw seagulls with silver flashing fish. and i saw a man with nothing, his arms were outstretched and empty but he carried the weight of the whole world.
Dear Kari. Sometimes I wonder which is the most poetic: your pictures or your voice. In either case, the combination is fantastic!
Warm greetings from the other end of West Africa,
Esther
Esther Garvi
3 Feb 09 at 9:39 am
I agree with Esther. I am always fascinated with the different ways of transporting things in Africa. Usually I am too hesitant to make a picture but I would love to do a photo series.
Jutta
3 Feb 09 at 10:24 pm
So short, so simple, yet it goes straight to my heart. You have to be from or have lived in Africa to understand certain things. Thank you for making me feel!
Ajah
5 Feb 09 at 10:10 pm
mmmmmm, eggs!
sorry.. yes, i loved it. =)
bonnie
6 Feb 09 at 7:39 pm
esther, coming from someone who has such a beautiful blog, that means a lot.
http://www.esthergarvi.com, everyone
Kari
7 Feb 09 at 7:24 pm
your photos are fantastic. hesitant for what reason, jutta? west africa definitely does have overly creative means of transport. what are some you have seen?
Kari
7 Feb 09 at 7:29 pm
ajah, thank you. are you from africa?
Kari
7 Feb 09 at 7:29 pm
i know, eggs are delicious.
Kari
7 Feb 09 at 7:31 pm
OK, let’s try again: I am hesitant for different reasons. I try to respect people, not treat them like objects. I find this even more important in Africa then in the West. It’s always good to ask people for permission before taking a photo. But it’s not always possible. Among other things this means not taking pictures that exposes their poverty. Also, there is this strange idea that I will make lots of money with the photos and become rich, so people expect me to pay them for their permission. Since I don’t get money for my photos, I don’t like spending the money I don’t get. Plus, people sometimes can get upset – e.g. drivers and passengers of illegally overloaded buses, etc – understandable they don’t like being photographed and sometimes will get aggressive.
Anyway, it’s a complex mix of reasons that often keeps me from making photos. I prefer not to be “seen” but it is so hard to be invisible as a white person in Africa. ;-)
Jutta
9 Feb 09 at 4:50 pm
yes, I am Senegalese, currently in frigid & grey MA.
Ajah
10 Feb 09 at 1:21 am
I think it’s admirable that you have a conscience about this as many photographers and journalists do not. It’s true that many West Africans will not allow you to take their photograph. They have seen themselves on postcards and in magazines and they know that someone is making money off of them while offering nothing. I sometimes offer to pay, for example, I paid the man in this photo. I have no problems paying for something I will make no money on. I always ask if I can take a photo if it is of someone’s face and if they say no I move on.
As far as photographing while not being seen, I think that raises its own set of morality issues, don’t you?
Kari
24 Feb 09 at 11:40 am