The Oracle

Description

It was her eyes. Her glance and presence seemed to hold stories of a mythology as ancient as her tribe. I was taken aback by her other-worldly appearance, taking a second to make sense of what exactly I was seeing. The way her fingers clasped the blanket wrapped over the gourd created a surreal feel, like the oracles of ancient myths. The feeling of visual confusion is one of my favorite feelings; it’s like a mental rollercoaster ride, and I truly enjoy images that create this.

Choosing the backdrop was like setting a stage for a performance, a grass hut that would make her the sole star, with no distractions. I shot from a lower angle in order to give her a look of strength and enchanting elegance, like the oracles I’ve read stories about growing up. The white and yellow face paint, resourced from the nearby river, combined with a tiny red plastic flower resting between her lips, all added to the surreal feel. That small modern touch of the bright, red plastic flower contrasted against her traditional and organic adornments, and to me symbolize the encroaching outside influences on this remote tribe and others like them.

Behind the scenes, there was moving of lighting equipment, adjustments, composing, the sweat work that turns ideas into art. The timing, connection, patience, the pursuit of perfection – it’s more than a technical journey; it’s the what I believe to be the foundation of photography. There are so many elements to taking a photo and all must be strong, like links in a chain. And when the shutter is clicked, capturing this beautiful moment, it’s more than a photograph. It’s our connection, a shared experience, a bridge between our very different worlds. It’s moments like these that remind me why I explore, why I shoot, why I continue to seek out the extraordinary in the ordinary.