“The population of Bali was 3,890,757 as of the 2010 Census; the latest estimate (for January 2014) is 4,225,384. There are an estimated 30,000 expatriates living in Bali. (…) A DNA study in 2005 by Karafet et al. found that 12% of Balinese Y-chromosomes are of likely Indian origin, while 84% are of likely Austronesian origin, and 2% of likely Melanesian origin. The study does not correlate the DNA samples to the Balinese caste system.”
Shooting People
I hate having my picture taken.
Even more when people don’t ask.
Because of that, I’ve always hated doing the same to others. I don’t like invading space. I don’t like interrupting.
Which is ironic – because two of my favourite kinds of photography are street photography and portraits.
Not the best combination.
The Internal Conflict
I love people. Faces. Expressions. Small details you can’t stage.
But I also respect privacy. And most of the time, that respect turns into avoidance.
So I stick to landscapes. Waves. Empty streets. Safe subjects.
Out Of My Confortable Zone
One day, while travelling in Bali, I decided to stop negotiating with myself.
I grabbed my analog camera.
Got on my scooter.
And made a deal with myself: today, I shoot people.
Not secretly. Not from afar.
I’d ask.
The Hardest Part Wasn’t The Photos
It was the first “hello”.
Asking strangers if I could take their portrait felt awkward. Invasive. Personal.
Sometimes I was ignored. Sometimes I was refused.
But something interesting happened.
Some people smiled.
Some laughed.
Some were curious.
Some said yes and stood there like it was the most normal thing in the world.
The Reward
That day gave me some of my favourite photos I’ve ever taken.
Not because they’re technically perfect.
But because it remind me that there are great things outside of your confrotable zone.
Afonso Tornelli 