Photo Essay

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Nick De Marco

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Recently back from my latest photographic trip to Cambodia where I took 3 rangefinders (Leica M6, Leica M4-P and the Minolta CLE) and a digital SLR (canon 5D), plus various lenses. Spending all my evenings putting galleries together now on my pbase site.

One I wanted to mention here was my first attempt at a photo-essay - about a hospital for children in the area. Most photos are black & white film with the Leica M6 (50m summicrom lens and 25mm Zeiss lens), and a fair few are taken with the canon 5D. All photos are black & white.

I had access to all the wards and patients to take these photos and hope to use them to publicise the work of the hospital.

Please take a look and give me any of your comments or criticisms.

http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/photo_essay_angkor_hospital_for_children

Thank you

Nick
 
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I think you best picture is "wheel chair bound." In many of the others I feel you could have gotten closer and lower. With this kind of work it is especially important to get as close as you can, really filling the frame. It is hard at first but gets easier over time...
 
I agree with Damaso. The photos are good but they could be more personal. Go down to their eye level, or lower. And get in much closer. A super wide may not be helping then, causing a lot of distortion. But a 35, 28 or 21 will give you a wide angle and less distortion (increasing, of course, with the widening of the angle).
 
Mark, there are some fine shots there. It takes some guts to go into a place like that and become a spectator on other people's difficulties (I know, I was a journalist for 8 years). I agree with some of the previous comments and have only one or two to add. I'd like to see a different perspective taken. Your shots seem to come from the perspective of an observer from above, or at least at the same level as the subject. Consider getting physically lower, especially with photos of the children. Fill the frame with just a face, or a hand for variety and to let us see the close up view of the person. We don't always need to see the surrounding because you've set the scene very well already. We already know where these people are.

All in all, good work. I'd like to see more.
 
Thanks for these comments - that is useful feedback. I like to use wide lenses and get up close to the subject, but include much of the surrounding environment. In many cases I felt I was right up against some of the patients - but that maybe more to do with the fact that I felt slightly uneasy at first doing that so it could have been psychological. I can see the point about perspective and maybe getting closer so I appreciate the feedback.

Nick
 
My experience with wide angles is that when you think you're close enough, the wide angle can still get closer. It's that barrier of personal space you have to break through. Something always difficult, and even more so in troubling times or situations.
 
In too many pictures the camera is looking down. Only in some (like "wheel chair bound") is this acceptable. "Family" shows how effective a closer, level view can be. I'd suggest the use of lenses no wider than 35 mm for the bulk of such work.
 
I would only like to add why so much gear? In PJ discretion is important.

From a photojournalist book I read: There should be three(3) styles of approaches in a PJ report -1) Wide angle view showing the layout, 2) closer up shots such as yours, and finally 3) detail work.

Your work was of the patients and rightly so. You may want to consider hospital conditions, surgery room & utensils to demonstrate the chasam between a third world nation and the industrialized world.

Good job.
 
The shot from above works in that it becomes the theme that ties these together (beyond the place and circumstances.) Plus they are not all from above, but those that are, the look of expectation on the faces of the subjects makes that pose appropriate.

Your gallery is well shot!
 
I was thinking about some of these coments. Having initially taken the useful criticism on board and deleted a couple of shots from the gallery, I thought again about the main points. In general it works better, I agree, to be on a similar level as the subject, in particular to be making eye contact (or lens contact) at eye level (unless you want to make a point). This works fine when someone is standing up. If they are shorter than you you go down to their level. Same as when they are sitting down. But when they are lying on a bed and looking upwards to go "down" to their level would probably not be the best perspective. I think the more importnat point is to have some fel of contact and connection. The photo below from the gallery is an example. I am looking down and have dropped my level somewhat. The child is looking at me and has his sorroundings there (bed, blanket, hands of mother). To me this works. Most of the other shots in the gallery where I am above a bed looking down are also, I think, the correct angle for those particular subjects.



I found the criticism useful and hope I have learnt from it - I think there were too many shots in my gallery that were too wide and looking down. Howevere, I hope I have also learnt from disagreeing with some of it, and I hope the gallery is better having done so.

So thanks again

Nick

http://www.pbase.com/nickdemarco/photo_essay_angkor_hospital_for_children
 
I'm sure that if those providing the criticism were given the same opportunity your work would still stand out. I think you did a very fine job. The old notion and saw of 'fill the frame' rarely applies to wide angle photography where edge composition reigns and perspective must balance distortion. The angle from above does not bother me. It's personal enough, and your subjects appeared to show acceptance of your presence. It is often very important to be one with one's subjects and aesthetic distance can often be too cold. There are no rules that say that the photographer cannot speak for his subjects. I think you've done that.
 
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