Encounters in the distance: When Thorge Berger travels, the camera is his constant companion. Whether it’s delicate cherry blossoms in Japan, clouds of coloured powder at the Holi festival in India or spiritual ceremonies – the photographer has already captured people and moments in more than 50 countries. But how does he deal with cultural differences and what challenges do photographers face abroad?
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The photographer selects his subjects carefully. His principle is to portray people with dignity and to avoid bitter poverty. Photos for documentation are an exception if they are essential to understanding the subject.
Depending on the region, people’s openness to photographers varies greatly. According to Berger, India is one of the easiest countries to shoot with locals. Here it also happens that people even ask him to take their photo.
Berger overcomes language barriers by learning at least a few greeting phrases in the local language. As everywhere, interest in another culture and treating it with respect are the keys to positive cooperation.
But the same rules do not apply everywhere and the understanding of photography varies. In this episode the photographer talks about his encounters. He reports on the images that bridge the gap and those he prefers to delete immediately from his camera.
A new episode of C’t Fotografie magazine’s podcast, Click Boom Flash, appears every other Sunday at 9:00 am. You can find it in all major podcast directories. Listen now: with Apple Podcasts, spotify,or the like RSS Feed In your podcast app of choice.
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