Photography Notes | Editorial & Humanitarian Photographer, Heber Vega.

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January 30, 2012 by heber vega

Connecting the ‘Why’ and the ‘How’

Two weeks ago I submitted a story for a guest post, called “Haunted Memories”. It was published in this place. Today I want to talk about the process behind those images, not just the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’. What distinguishes an artist and photographer is the ‘why’, or his/her vision behind the work. That is what sets apart the great photographers that you and I admire. Throughout this entire assignment, I felt connected to the story in a way that I’ve rarely experienced before, and I think that one of the reasons is that I was able to successfully merge the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this story.

The ‘Why’:
First, I must admit that this story represents a real milestone in my personal life. It marks an ending, as well as the beginning of a new Heber. So one of my motivations was to create a visually strong story, because I experienced the story in such a strongly visually way. What I saw in my mind during that time has stayed with me in such a powerful way, that it forever changed my perspective on life. It pierced my soul, so I had to put emphasis on that in the images.

I had that clear concept fixed in my mind, and then began to write the story in a way that would strike a cord with my readers. I wanted the illustrating images to add to the experience, to evoke the feelings of repression and hopeless that I felt in childhood. Because I had this powerful experience while reading a book, most of the images I associate with the story I created in my mind. To illustrate my own story, I wanted to create images that would evoke the feeling of being in a dream.

So that’s basically the ‘Why’, the concept… the way I envisioned this work.

The ‘How’:
There are two main elements in the illustration of this story: the location I chose for the images, and the way I post-processed them. I decided to use my iPhone instead of my DSLR because of the post-processing technique I wanted to use. When I started this project, it was only available as an iOS app that I was using on my iPhone. Now it’s also available for Mac, but I’ll say more about that in a minute.

Element One: The Red Prison (location). Choosing this location is totally related to the ‘Why’ of this story. I have been in the Red Prison more than 10 times, and am still impacted by that place every time I go. I normally end up being really quiet, full of thoughts. Now that I think about it, I guess I’ve been connecting the Red Prison with those difficult thoughts from my past, and that’s why this story became so moving for me. Once I was able to connect contemporary elements with the emotional theme of the main story (the ‘why’), I was able to “get into the zone”. I know that sounds really zen, but once you make the connection between your vision and concept for a story, with the visual elements around you, you are ready to portray a story.

Element Two: Post-processing. Last December I began to use an app on my iPhone call Snapseed, and I fell in love with it because of several of its features. One of them is a filter called “grunge”. When I was thinking about illustrating ‘Haunted Memories’, I couldn’t stop thinking about this grunge look. It is edgy, dreamy, and has a lot of texture; ideal for what I wanted to convey in these images. The best part is that by the time I was ready to process the images, this app had become available for Mac. This meant that I could use it on my computer as well. Without that, I would have used the iPhone exclusively to capture and post-process the images.

Well, that’s the process behind “Haunted Memories”. The most important lessons?

1. Identify a concept or a vision before you even start to work on a project. Think about how you want this story to make your reader feel. Know in your own mind why you want to work on this story. Close your eyes, and become aware of the visual images that come to mind when you think about the story. Pre-visualize.

2. Look for the elements that can best represent your story. Think in terms of what kind of reaction you want to provoke in the readers; think of elements that will generate that kind of emotional response.

3. Finally, think about how you can use those elements in the best way possible, so they become the interpreter of your story. In this example, visually. But it can also be through another type of sense, like using sound in a multi-media piece.

I hope this post will be useful for your stories as well. Have a great week.

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October 18, 2011 by heber vega

How off-camera light can improve your photography

© Heber Vega 2011 | Wedding Party in Northern Iraq

This weekend I assisted at a very special wedding party. It was the wedding of one of my good friends, teammate and former editor of this blog, DeeDee Baumgarner. It was so special because she married a local Kurdish friend, and for this region of Iraq that is not the norm (to say the least). This wedding was a good opportunity to try a couple of new things photographically, especially the off-camera flash images I’ve been working on lately.
After getting some of “those shots” that I was after, and especially after posting them on Facebook, I realized that using off-camera strobe has improved my photography all around, and I want to explain how I have noticed those changes.
Before I get into that, I have to tell you that it’s only been recently that I’ve been working more seriously on making these types of images, so I don’t have “years” of experience. I hope this will encourage you to start trying out new things. My lighting set-up is very basic, portable and affordable for most people. Nothing fancy here…
So, let see how using strobes is improving my photography.
1. Getting it done in camera.
First of all, I must say that I’m not one of those photographers who does a lot to his images in post processing. Not because of “moral” issues Not at all. But because I don’t think I have mastered that area yet. I don’t use Photoshop, although I’d like to. I do most of my post-processing in Lightroom 3 and some plugins.
So, with all that said, having to do less in PP is a welcome thing for me. Most of these images, shot using strobes, don’t need my imagination to foresee the end result in post. They look pretty much “finished” once you see them on the back of your camera. Let me explain it in a little different way. When shooting with available light, most of the time I end up correcting white balance, exposure, and levels to get the light to look the way I want. But when using flash, I’m getting it done in camera. At the same time, I’m somehow getting rid of that Raw (washed out) look that I’d usually get when making a photo without off-camera light.

© Heber Vega 2011 | Julie Adnan, famous Kurdish artist from Iraq. Photographer as well.

2. Adding drama to photography.
Along with looking great right on your camera screen, the photographs made using strobes look a lot more dramatic than a photo made with available light. I mean, if you know how to use these tools and understand distance, light, angles, diffusers, etc., you can add that drama to your images with off-camera light.
Once you have learned the basics about how to use these tools, you will enter into a new level, where many things can be created by the light of these strobes, and how you manage that light. Where you used to seek out available light, now you are able to create it.
Most of the images coming out my camera with this technique are far more dramatic than they could have been if I would have used only available light. That “look” that I’m talking about was one of the reasons I wanted to start using strobes in the first place.
3. Making you more creative.
Because you can create light, you can become more creative. You develop confidence in having this power, where resources (more lights) and imagination are the only limits. Think for a while about those great photographers out there using lighting systems. Think about their portfolios, and where they have used off-camera lights. Aren’t those photographs amazing? Those photographers stopped waiting for the right conditions. Now they are creating the conditions for great shots.
Don’t get me wrong, natural light is still really important. What I’m saying is that having this tool in your hands and knowing how to use it it can only improve what you are capable of. With these lights, I’ve been able to create photographs that would have looked normal otherwise, “boring” in other words.
In sum, I no longer feel restricted.

© Heber Vega 2011 | One of the students at ONE-SHOT 2011 Workshop in Iraq.

4. Making your photography more attractive.
Okay, I’m not talking about my personal appearance here. There’s not fix for that What I’m talking about, is that people seem to prefer the shots where I have been using strobes. I know you may not want to let people rule your photography or product, but at the same time you have to recognize that those same people are the source of your earnings. So they are indeed important.
Every time I show my portfolio to friends, clients, and people in general, they seems to linger on the shots where off-camera light was used. They have noticed the “dramatic” look, they have talked about “dimension”, saying that they look more 3-dimensional. Women have said that their hair looks great. Others have told me that they look prettier with these lights. And others have said that even if you aren’t that “attractive”, you still look great. In the end, isn’t that what matters in a portrait?
Somehow the photos made with off-camera flash are calling the attention of more people than my earlier shots.
5. Making you a “special” photographer.
Because of the previous point, people are starting to talk about how great they would look if I made their portrait. Because of this last shoot, people are talking about my photography and especially my portraits, which is good for gaining new clients.
In the last couple weeks, I have had people asking me for this type of “environmental” portrait. They seem to love them because of the light, so they want to be photographed with this setup. I’ve also had friends approaching me, who are normally shy in front of a camera because they have had problems looking good in photographs. And business aside, I love that! As a humanitarian photographer I like to see people feeling alive and beautiful in front of my camera, I think this is another way of giving back that does not need to be overlooked by photographers.
Well, I hope that this “honeymoon” I’m having with off-camera light can encourage you too. As I said, you don’t need to invest that much and the improvement can be quite a lot. Think about it!

© Heber Vega 2011 | Rene Saldaño, a friend photographer at Concha & Toro Winery in Chile.

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October 10, 2011 by heber vega

Photographing Women in a Muslim country

© Heber Vega | Assignment work for Prosperity Candle 2010

A couple of weeks ago, one of my good friends, Canadian photographer Erin Wilson, suggested I write about this topic after revising my 2010 portfolio. This was the second time that another photographer mentioned this to me. I guess in all these years I have found my own way, as male photographer, to photograph women in Iraq.

I must say though that after almost eight years in Iraq, photographing local islamic women still represents a big challenge for me and I always need to be cautious and thoughtful in the way I approach women here. This post is not a manual or recipe to be followed exactly. The way I see it, this post shares the insights behind the photographs I have made of women in Iraq. I have also traveled all around the Middle East, and know these thoughts will help you in most of these countries as well. This blog post was specially made for male photographers dealing with this issue in their assignments.

But before we even start, I’d advise you to check with people in the country where you want to shoot, to find out what’s alright (or not) to do. For example, in many of the so-called markets or bazaars here in Iraq, it can really be a problem if you start photographing women in public. For sure you will have some men or police officers coming your way after a few minutes. That’s besides the “angry” look most of these women will give you.

One more thing… If you are a female photographer and you want to photograph women in muslim areas, then I think you are in a much better situation than men are. As a woman, you will find far fewer obstacles for talking, sharing and spending time with women here. So for you, the need for respect and understanding of the culture that I mention in this post still applies.

Photographs at a Women’s Center.

© Heber Vega | The Women Center - Rapareen 2010

These photographs were made in a Women’s Center in the Kurdish area of Iraq. These are the students of a sewing/tailoring class. I needed to invest time in order to get close to this group of women, which took a couple of weeks. First I met the people working with them (NGO) including the teacher, and I spent some time getting to know the program and the things that they were making there. From the very beginning they knew I was a photographer, and saw me carrying a camera. But they also understood that I was respectful of them. How? Well, I did not take any pictures of them for the first several classes. I just asked questions, observed, and learned about them and their work. Later on, once I was familiar with them, I started to photograph their class and the work they were doing.

In the end, they invited me to take a photograph of their group, and to join a meal that they’d brought from home to share at class. But any time I wanted to photograph one of them individually, I would ask first.

I would add that depending on the family tradition, some women would never give permission to make a portrait of them separate from the group. That’s totally fine with me.

Prosperity Candle.

This group of women are from Baghdad, another area in Iraq. I don’t know their language and culture as well as I know that of the Kurds. Once I knew the details of this assignment, and the tight timeline, I knew that it was going to be really difficult to get in the “zone” with these women. I had to make them trust me right away (first impression kind of thing) so that I could portray their life and work at manufacturing candles during that weekend.

What did I do? Because they came to my city to get photographed, instead of going to where they were staying, I invited them to my house and introduced them to my wife and two sons. [The home and hospitality are very important in middle eastern cultures.] The women felt at home right away, even though we could not speak the same language (except for the woman who translated). They felt welcomed by my wife, another woman who shared the same life challenges as them, being a mom.

So my wife was my assistant for the whole weekend and she did all the talking. I just tried to be kind and smile. A few times I had to ask questions that would tell more about their emotions and experiences in the hard life of Baghdad. After many hours, they shared how one of them became a widow, and how it’s been to take care of the whole family since then. It was a bonding experience, and I think that is clear in most of these photographs.

What if I couldn’t bring my wife? Or if I was single? Well, my approach would be to find a female assistant that could translate and share with the women. That assistant would have to be someone who the women could respect. These women are from a very “traditional” environment, and if you have a very “western” assistant or someone who does not treat the women well, then things will not work out well for the shoot. In that case, whoever hired me would have to provide an appropriate person or liaison for that shoot.

Remedy Mission.

© Heber Vega | www.preemptivelove.org 2010

These photographs were taken in an Iraqi hospital. These women were taking care of their children, while waiting for them to have life-saving surgery. As you can imagine, the situation at any moment could be tense, emotional, heart-breaking, sad, deep, hopeless and finally happy, once their children came through the surgery alive. Because of all this, I had to be sensitive about when I could photograph them.

My approach was always respectful and I tried to bring some comfort to the situation. During the long wait before surgery, I played with most of those kids and showed them some movies on my computer. I shared pictures of my own kids. I asked questions to understand their stories and listened to them talk about what they were going through at that moment.

Among all the women there, there was a particular woman, covered in black, that I could tell was from a more “traditional” family. This meant I had to work harder to get her photograph with her little baby.

What did I do? I started with her husband. I knew that if I could make him feel comfortable with me and my camera, then I would have a better chance to photograph his family too. So I spent couple days photographing him, which turned out to be really good as he was one of my best subjects that week. His photographs and story about his little baby Sozan, were one of the most touching stories from that Remedy Mission.

I still wanted to make a photograph with his wife and baby. So on the third day at the hospital’s ward, after trusting me for a while, I found her contemplating her baby after surgery. The way she was looking toward her baby was so deep and full of emotion, it was one of those key moments in life. I took a risk and went for the photograph that could capture that. When she realized that I was there, she turned to me and showed me her baby, as if saying “we have made it!”

Without starting with her husband, I don’t think I could have made this photograph, and this is one the most intimate photographs that I have ever made. It was totally worth the wait.

A good summary of the stories I have shared today is:
-Have a respectful attitude.
-Have a basic understanding of cultural taboos.
-I recommend that you have a sensitive female translator.
-Have time to invest on your subject’s story. Get comfortable around each other.

Finally I want to share a more personal thought on this issue. I guess some of you are wondering if it would’ve been easier to just hand these assignments to a female photographer, due to all the restrictive norms. Well, If I would’ve done that I would have missed tremendous opportunities. I’m not talking only about photographic opportunities that can make your skills as photographer better. No, I’m talking about those opportunities that make you a better person because you have listened, because you have tried to understand their perspective and stories, and because you have done what you could to showcase their lives to a world which has not had access to those stories. That’s why, in my perspective, it is worth the work.

To not understand the incredible work of women in this world, is to fail to understand the beauty and strength that has sustained all societies and cultures since the beginning of the world. In Islamic countries, I have confirmed that traditions, religion, values and many other rich aspects of culture are transmitted from one generation to another due to the hard work of the women of this world.

I hope this post can be a good starting point for your assignment and that my experience can benefit yours. Please, if you have further questions, just leave a comment here at this post.

© Heber Vega | University of Sulaymaniyah 2010

© Heber Vega | Freedom Fighter - Photo Essay 2010

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April 28, 2011 by heber vega

Photographers – How to work with NGOs?

In my first day of blogging again I got two interesting emails, one about some images I had taken at local universities in Iraq and the other one about questions on how photographers can/should work with NGOs. I was planning to write something else for today, but it will have to wait, as I think these are important questions to share and discuss. It will be great if you can add your thoughts or experience on top of what I have answered below. That will help with this project.

Please take my answers with a grain of salt, because they’re only my opinion and I don’t have a PhD on this issue (not yet though ).

I’m not going to reveal the name of the person who wrote that email to me, but I’m going to show you an extract it:

“In my final project, I have decided to go in a strange direction. I am going to be focusing on how professional photographers help and aid NGO’s. Because of my budget, I am sticking close to home, in Cape Town. I am researching how photographers go into NGO’s and take photos, thinking that they are helping but ending up not really grasping the feel or idea of the NGO and not really being able to deliver the right photos.
Things like the attitude of photographers or NGO’s have a huge affect on the photos. Also, being overconfident can ruin a relationship, from the sides of both parties. But, at the same time, researching the effects of right attitudes, ideas and heart can go a long way.
I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for my project.”

Here are the questions:

1. How can a photographer impact an NGO with their skills?

I’d say you could make an impact with NGOs, but go beyond your skills (assuming you know how to use your camera) with your own vision as a photographer. What I mean by this, is that there are many photographers that can get a good shot, a well done photograph of that x NGO project, but what can really set you apart from the rest is your inner vision. The why you do the things you do. Examples are your approach, your way of treating your subjects, etc.

Photographers that have worked on social projects are better suitable for NGOs, as they know how those things work. They have been there before. They understand the challenges for NGOs. So when you add to that a passion, for let’s say, humanitarian issues, then you have a plus for that NGO.
Why? because you both are on the same boat.

2. What do you think are the negative and positive experiences that NGO’s have had with photographers?

Usually miscommunication, not understanding of what to expect on the job, limited budget, and zero art direction from the NGO on the shoot are usually the negative side of things. The positive experiences relating to photographers, are that take more than photos, they try to understand the NGO’s need and at the end they come up with advice into how to use those images and other “consulting” practices. They become a consultant instead of just a photographer. They share their knowledge and art in the job.

3. What have been some Issues that you have had with NGO’s?

I think I pretty much answered that in the last question.

4. What are the expectations of an NGO with a photographer?

Really, unless it is a very important (large) NGO, with experience in these types of jobs, most of the NGOs don’t know exactly what to expect from a photographer. They don’t know the way photographers work and usually they don’t usually know what to do with the images taken for the job. Some of them come with a clear idea of some photographs they may want, but they don’t realize that a photographer can sometimes assist them with a better way of portraying the subjects or need.

5. What are the photographer’s expectations for NGO’s?

Well, to help to arrange the vast array of details that are part of a shoot. Have clear communication. Respect the value of the images by respecting the rights and copyrights of them. The clearer the vision of the NGO, the easier the job for the photographer.

6. What are the biggest mistakes a photographer can make?

Not investing time in understanding their client’s need. Not being respectful. Not having sensitivity for cultures and the differences that may arise on the job. Not being flexible or easygoing with things.

7. Do photographer’s attitudes affect their photos?

It depends. I’ve seen great photos from not nice photographers. I think the problem is more about getting hired again by the same people, about trust and building relationships. For sure you will miss other pending shoots if you have problems with your attitude. The nice, kind photographer get those shoots again and again, and every time with a better/deeper impact on their subjects.

8. What are the mistakes you have made?

Uff. Many of the things I have mentioned already.

9. What key points should a photographer take into consideration before agreeing to assist a NGO?

Starting with, “Who pays what?” and going until, “Who gets the future rights of the photographs?” and so on. It’s like a normal contract, – you need to think that unthinkable things may happen. Because of this, you have to revise a couple times. You learn with time and you can always update your contracts .

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April 27, 2011 by heber vega

Catching Up! (With my own past)

"Reconstruction Stories" a documentary about the reconstruction of iLoca in Chile

It’s been a while since I had the opportunity to work on my blog and website, probably close to a year since I’ve had real time to be blogging and sharing on social media. The reason? There’s not a single concrete reason, but several of them keep going around in my mind. Anyway, the important part is that I’m back at work, precisely where my inspiration happens to exist; I’m back on the field. That also applies to this country that adopted me back in 2003. Things have changed a lot, both in my personal life and in this piece of land.

I’m older, bolder, and I do have a new son, Seth. But what has really changed inside of me, is, for lack of a better word, a “new perspective” on how I should do things in life. I think I described it as being “Liberated” to my good friend Jeremy Courtney.

Uff! There’re so many things to say but I want to start with a few. First of all, once again, I’m in love with life; enjoying friends, people, places, but especially family. I feel so blessed to have what I have.
Part of this transformation is due to letting myself leave behind certain fears that were eating at my soul from the inside out. I realized during this time off that so many of my decisions were based on fear, even though people sometimes have called me a risk taker because I live far from home, across the sea, and especially because of Iraq, but let me tell you this, I was a coward in so many areas of my life. So, why is this so important? It’s because, among other things, I learned that FEAR does not let you grow as an artist or person. It doesn’t let you go far, it keeps you attached to your comfortable zone. That lecture is the one I’m learning at this very moment.

I recently understood that I was living the dreams of other people. Not mine, or my family’s dream either. I guess those years were also part of preparing me for this very day, so don’t think that they were only a waste of time, they weren’t. I believe that every man/person should live by their convictions but even deeper than that, we should all try to live by what turns our hearts on, what makes us unique, creative, free, what shows the best of us. We all have experienced it; we have all had a day when we felt profoundly fulfilled with being ourselves. Not someone else, but our own being.

In my case, throughout my whole life, I can see moments where I felt that way. I grew up drawing in my private times, and I remembered feeling “complete.” My soul was filled with purpose back then, even at 5-7 years old. Then, I remembered grabbing a camera and having a similar feeling. What great memories!
But, come on! How could you keep doing that and being just fine? Right? After a couple of years, and after the weight of the pressure of being someone in life (not an artist of course) I found myself alone, hating everybody and destroying my own body among other things. Those were the dark years of my life. I’ve been recovering since then and God plus family have played a central roll in helping me get out of there.

Why am I mentioning all this? Because something went wrong at that time, and in part I know what it was, I lost sight of my dreams, my gifts, who I really was. I tried to take another path. That just killed my soul back then. Even though living in Iraq has forced me to live life according to what I am, I did realize during this time off that I was still doing and deciding things based on fear, staying inside my comfort zone.

So what’s next? I don’t really know. What I do know is that right now, along with my family, we just want to experience life as we should have for the past 8 years; day by day, and based on love, support, our dreams. One of the things we have taken seriously is about growing our gifts. My wife sings incredible well, but she has never let that part grow. Well, now is the right time! Me? I’m already working more hours on my photography, getting inspired by life. We’re not putting limits on our kids’ creativity whatsoever! We’re also trying to make this dream possible to our Iraqi friends and the children at ONE-SHOT.

People, please sit and think. It’s not too late to start things over again! Change your priorities and let your soul live in peace with itself.

About this Blog.
I’m working on another series of 10.Q Interviews. Hopefully this time I’ll try to get go deeper. I will keep posting things in 2-Consider as a form of inspiration or reflection and keep sharing about the humanitarian field and the things that I’m learning and experiencing… there’s so much to catch up on! I want to show you some of the things I did during this time off. We’ll have time for that. In the meantime, I’ll work on hard at staying put while walking on this path. Yes, my own unique path. Sounds great, doesn’t it!

About these Images.
One of the things I did back in Chile was to work on a documentary call “Reconstruction Stories”. I hope to have it ready to show it to you, within few days with English subs. All these images were used as part of the story. Now, after writing this post, I realized that the whole name is also based on my own story. It’s all about building from scratch!

One of the fishermen from iLoca town, southern Chile.

One of the houses being built as a result of this initiative of reconstruction.

One of the dozens of iLoca fishermen leaving home early morning.

A family in iLoca enjoying christmas eve at their new house after losing everything.