I’m about to make a second attempt at photographing the homeless teens at My Friend’s Place (MFP). Last time, I experienced a major technical difficulty—not being able to hear my subject’s stories over the roar of the highway! Now that social distancing rules have been lifted and many people have been vaccinated, I’m allowed to take my subjects’ pictures inside the MFP building. As a result, I will be able to hear their stories more clearly, and, hopefully, go into their narratives with more depth. Last time I felt rushed as I moved from one person to another; this time, I plan to photograph only four subjects (as opposed to seven) and spend at least twenty minutes with each one.
I’m curious to see how these differences will manifest themselves in my pictures—for instance, will the images be more detailed and personal as a result of there being fewer distractions? There is also a possibility that my subjects will be more interested in my questions because they can actually hear me! Once again, I’m learning from my mistakes from past shoots, reflecting upon them and changing course accordingly—this, I think, is the key to becoming a better photographer and interviewer.