Whether he’s photographing Hollywood actors or armed militia men, Eli Reed’s work is characterised by a distinct sense of humanity and empathy. On Thursday evening, at the Sharjah International Photography Festival (Xposure) 2017, we had the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of Magnum’s first African American photographer.
In a discussion titled ‘The Finding of the Core’, Professor Reed spoke about the power of the photograph, something he said is decided even before one takes it. How? The answer lies in the fact that whether or not one is able to unearth and connect with the core of the story one is working on.
“No matter what you have been told by your assignment editor, the weight of discovery will mostly all be on you,” Professor Reed remarked.
He acknowledged the fact that while a photographer is on an endless pursuit trying to find the ‘why, what and how’ of a story and working hard to see and capture everything that meets the eye, it is easy to miss that story’s very core.
“I’m always trying to figure out what I want to really say. Every time I get an assignment to work on, I’m interested in it myself. I do a lot of thinking and try to figure out what are the things I should be paying attention to. From assessing what are the specific things that are happening in a situation and are important to share, to getting to a state of just being there, inside a story, and answering questions about why I am at a place taking all these pictures – all help me get to the core of a story,” Professor Reed observed.
“My life in photography has been a long meditative journey about what it truly means to be a human being. Life is not a sprint, it is a marathon. What that means is that as a human being and as a photographer, you have to take the time to go and see and let yourself melt into where you are,” he added as he took the audience on a journey through his works.
The author of A Long Walk Home, which is the first retrospective of his work and career, has witnessed and experienced the world through its tender, tumultuous, hopeful and helpless turns. Although Reed photographs from a six-foot-five-inch height, his work is never aloof; it is full of compassionate, intimate and grounded moments.
“I am more of a glass half full kind of a guy; I am not interested in glasses half empty,” were the veteran’s parting remarks to all emerging and established photographers who love to tell stories through their cameras and see documenting the world in pictures as a way of life.
Xposure 2017 is an outstanding platform for lovers of the visual language. It is a celebration of global perspectives, and gives people in the UAE a chance to view the world through some of the bravest, kindest, and most creatively discerning eyes.
The second edition of the Festival, organised by Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), runs until Saturday, November 25, at Expo Centre Sharjah. The high-profile event, featuring a gathering of 32 of the world’s most celebrated photographers, is expected to spark a region-wide engagement and inspiration.
To learn more about the Festival, please visit www.xposure.ae and social networking platforms by using #xposurexpf.
