This photo was taken in Spain just after I left a Saul Leiter exhibition.
Gaza is the world’s biggest concentration camp. As I walked through a derelict shopping precinct/tower block, I saw a large building site ahead, and I saw this mural of the woman. I stopped and moved back out of the rain to where I had originally seen her. The concrete awning and fence framed her looking in at us, I took one shot.
Nearly 100% of my personal work is printed in black and white; it is a strong personal preference. The absence of color and all its possible manipulations demand a strong image/story. The blue head covering has a symbolism in this image (for some), but even so, I have mostly desaturated the image. My documentary work and solo exhibitions have, until now, all been in color. I have revisited them as mono images, and they have become more timeless.
Photography is life as it unfolds around me. Initially the subconscious says take a photo then I ask what was I photographing and then reframe (portrait or landscape) or move around the subject trying to concentrate the image.
The seemingly indiscriminate nature of my personal photography becomes a frustration in that others seem to always want to see a singular style or theme that brings the images together. Life and the world are too diverse for me to accommodate them. The photos are simply processed as records of a scene before me (which I have not set up).
The desire to tell bigger stories lead to making a 70 minute film using 1700+ still images with interviews and music which was screened in a large theatre. This opened the door to financial support for me to write (fiction) and direct films about real life which have screened around the world and won international awards.
My other normal lens is the 18mm. Most of the time I speak to people, 95% of my images are about people. I provide copies from a small portable printer or email images and also have gone back to give copies to people. We took a video camera to Cuba and recorded my search and the reactions of the people who were getting the photos. I dislike zoom/telephoto users who treat people as if they are on safari.
What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
The juxtaposition of the mural and the fencing and the cold drabness of the environment.
If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?
I thought of silhouettes of people walking past, oblivious to the mural, but I felt it was best as it simply is.
Louis McCullagh shared this photograph with the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Louis McCullagh, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Equipment and settings
Fujifilm X-H2 + XF27mm
1/6 sec., F5.6, ISO400
viewfinder set to mono/manual focus/focus peaking
FRAMES is a unique international photography community that combines the best of all worlds, bringing you print and digital publications, a global membership platform, access to live events, and a dedicated mobile application.
EXPAND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC VISION
JOIN FRAMES TODAY
