KHAULANI MBEDZ - LIMPOPO COALMINERS

Khaulani Samson Mbedz, Limpopo - 2018

When we look at a simple portrait of a human face there is an immediate transfer of information that shapes our reaction to the person we see before us. Perhaps there is recognition, or a connection through age, race or gender. Maybe there is empathy, understanding and solidarity; or conversely distance, jealousy and judgement.

Whatever comes through the image to you, isn't all about the person in the photograph but is a complex interpretation informed by your own experiences, opinions and values.

A simple portrait isn't ever a simple portrait because most of the power is held by the viewer, who we usually have no knowledge of. So it is in the hands of the portrait photographer to best craft an image that transfers the desired information, regardless of the reader.

In 2018 I was commissioned by the South African Catholic Bishops Conference to create a series of portraits to accompany their advocacy around the health impacts of the coal mines in Limpopo, South Africa.

I had already worked on a lengthy project about the impacts of the gold mines and I wanted to approach this project in a different way.

My goal was to build empathy. Empathy between any viewer and the subject of the photograph. To connect two strangers to each other and ask them for a moment of understanding. A moment to consider our shared humanity.

To do this I needed to go back to basics. To remove distractions and to present the person engaged, present and reciprocal in the relationship. A simple portrait with simple lighting and a simple backdrop.

I always carry a Lastolite pop-up black and white backdrop with me to create a classic background in any location. A large Elinchrom Rotalux octabox on my Profoto B2 provided the soft light and catchlight in the eyes, whilst also illuminating the white backdrop behind. I shot this on my Nikon D800 with an 85mm f1,8 lens at its widest setting.

There is a beautiful portrait by Gregory Heisler of Luis Sarria, a Cuban boxer and trainer. His huge hands are wrapped around his face and the textured details of his fingers act as the opening lines of a the story of his long and varied life. I love this portrait so much and have always wanted to recreate it.

That was not the aim with this particular shot but it did act as an inspiration to bring the hands into the portrait, creating a frame around the face of Khaulani Samson Mbedzi, looking straight into the camera and asking for his own story to be heard.

In total I made 24 images of coal miners in Limpopo. The full collection can be seen here.