My favorite photographer from the Tales by Light series was Richard I’Anson from the “Himalaya” episode. I really liked how he got right into the action when shooting the various festivals and rituals, and how he was respectful to the people and environment he was shooting. The pictures of Holi were absolutely beautiful. They were so colorful, vibrant, and really told the story of the festival. Some of his best photos from the day were those that were taken when he went down into the colorful chaos to shoot from the perspective of the people celebrating Holi. That marked him as a truly great photographer, as he was willing to do whatever it took to get the shot that really captured the event. I also liked how when he was shooting the temples up in the mountains he was very respectful to the monks (?) and did not bother or alter the environment. Because I don’t enjoy when photographers manipulate scenes just for their own benefit, I liked how Anson made the environment work for him.
One of my favorite locations/events that was photographed was the tribes in Africa and New Guinea. It was cool being able to see the people in their natural lands, photographed with the intent to document the culture of the tribes. Being able to preserve the history of such a precious culture in photographs is extremely important for not only the tribes themselves, but for other people of the world. Western society is influencing the thousands of years old traditions of these tribes in remote places more and more now (as seen through this episode, namely, by photography), but this episode shows that that might not always be a bad thing. People who view these photos are more likely to appreciate the rich and diverse world of cultures that are often hidden from view.
My other favorite location shot was Antarctica. This episode was cool because while I probably will never be able to go to Antarctica (unfortunately), I was able to sort of live through this photographer as he shot the beautiful, icy, landscapes.
I learned several things from the photographers. One was that the best way to get good photos is to get right in the action, and not be afraid of ~polite~ intrusion. Most of the photographers were very good at just hopping right into their environment, probably because they are professionals, but still. Another thing I learned is to not stop shooting until you get the shot you want. Art Wolfe never let anything set him back, and would go back to the same spot several days in a row (or shoot for hours on end) to get the perfect picture. It was nice to see that even the best photographers don’t get everything right on their first try. I also liked how the photographers explained everything they were doing to the audience, so I was able to pick up a few techniques from them.
I was initially surprised at how remote, harsh, and chaotic the environments the photographers shot in were. I personally don’t know if I’d be able to capture amazing, even decent, pictures atop a mountain, under the sea, five feet from wild lions, or with colorful water spraying at me from all sides, so props to the photographers for running headfirst into tricky photography environments. I wasn’t surprised by much else, as I was too busy watching, in awe, the very good photographers take very good photos.
Overall, I really enjoyed watching this mini-series. I not only learned a lot from the photographers, but I am totally inspired now to go out and take amazing pictures. Seeing such beautiful landscapes and cultures captured through photo and presented by video left me longing for the experiences shown in these few episodes.
