My First and Last Photo Gig
by Oliver Carlos
After winning a hi-tech camera in an international contest, I thought of using my prize in some noble or worthwhile endeavor. I tried to be an events photographer for free. I planned to shoot weddings, graduations, debuts, funerals, and the likes. I would charge the clients only the cost of the photographs’ film, developing and printing, but I wouldn’t charge a single centavo for my labor. I wanted to be a blessing to others. This was in 1992.
I told my friends of my plan and if they knew some people who would be my potential clients. My farmer friends from central Laguna told me that the public elementary school in their place would be having its graduation rites soon and they would ask the parents if they wanted my services.
I thought that this project was perfect. I really would like to help people who couldn’t afford such a photo coverage. My would-be clients were members of a farming community. My friend explained to me that in their village, finishing Grade 6 was already a huge achievement. Very few of them touched ground in high school. After elementary graduation, most of the teens would join their parents in planting rice and would grow old in that profession. Thus, the event I would cover would be one of the brightest moments in their lives, and my mission was to document it for them. Days before the event, my friend communicated the project plans to the parents. They were elated.
After I had the photos developed and printed in Los Banos, I sent them over to my friend who distributed them to the parents. To my surprise, my friend told me the parents were so disappointed at my shots. I couldn’t understand what’s wrong with what I have done.
Then he pointed out to me my blunder. All my shots were medium shots, or half-body shots. Of course, that’s automatic for me. When the graduate comes up the stage and received the diploma from the Principal, I wanted to capture that joyous moment. I wanted to show the smiles on their faces, so I composed my shots that way, semi-close up. That’s also what I always see in the UPLB graduation pictures year in and year out. Little did I know that their taste and culture was different from mine.
My friend explained that these people wanted whole body shots. They wanted their feet to be included in the photo. It’s very rare for them to wear shoes. Some of them even borrowed money to buy or rent shoes for that occasion, and I didn’t photograph those precious shoes. They planned to have the photograph framed together with the diploma and display it in their humble sala. That would be their most treasured possession, and I didn’t live up to their expectations.
I felt so sad and disheartened. I was disappointed at myself. How could I miss that out? I should have researched more about my clients’ culture and preferences. To be a blessing to them, I should have considered what was in their heart. I learned that noble intentions without empathy can lead to a tragedy. They must always go hand-in-hand.
Contrary to my misadventure, the apostle Paul did the right thing when he preached in Athens. He first observed the culture of the people. When he was given the floor to share the Gospel to the elite of the Greek people, he quoted one of their local philosophers. We read in Acts 17:28 (TLV) the tail-end of Paul’s speech:
“for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’”
A handful of Athenians became Christians after that speech. They got interested in Paul’s message because they can relate to it. They saw empathy in Paul. Verse 34 mentioned some of their names:
“But some men joined with him and believed — among them Dionysius (a member of the council of the Aereopagus), a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”
Do you want to reach out and share God’s love to people around you? Try being in their shoes first. Then go and step forward, be a blessing to them!
