Te Tangata - The People
There is a saying in my culture, "What is the most important thing in this life? It is people, it is people, it is people". People are all around us, whether we like it or not the people we surround ourselves with help to mold us into who we are. One thing that I love about photography is the ability to share with others so much about people in a single image. That will be the focus for this final project, to portray ordinary people in an interesting and extraordinary way. I want to focus on the cultures of Polynesia, showcasing their costumes, their mana (power) and Ora (life).
The body, more specifically the face can tell so much about a person, fine lines are like a map of experiences that share with the world the evidences of a life lived, expressions denote emotion and from a single image we are able to capture feelings that can be made permanent through the lens of a camera. Much like my inspiration, Steve McCurry (athough I can't go into war torn countries or foreign places) I can try to photograph and create portraits in a similar way that will enable me to share the stories of those who I am photographing with others, while adding my own Polynesian style to the image.
I admire how McCurry can capture their emotions and their unique characters, with such vibrant and rich colors. Using a variety of techniques I will photograph images that will evoke emotion and bring the viewer into the lives of those that will be photographed.
