P&P: Exercise 14: An Organized Event

This exercise calls for shooting an organized event at which people are in motion and at which one can expect to move about and photograph without restriction.  As these types of events are rather uncommon in the Arab summer, I took the opportunity to photograph an organized event that goes on year-round in Dubai - construction.

The work depicted here is the laying of brick to create off street parking in an area featuring a number of schools, one of which can be seen in the background of these images. I happen to pass down this street each day on the way to work, and this morning I stopped off at the gas station to pick up some cold drinks for the workers, an offering that I hoped would endear me enough to be allowed to photograph. I arrived just as they took a mid-morning meal break and so had the opportunity to take some photos of rest.


The most difficult thing about the assignment was getting them to ignore me.  For that to happen I would have had to have spent a good part of the day, or even a couple of days, hanging out with them.  That wasn't going to happen.  At least that is what the foreman thought.  After 15 minutes he told me enough.  He saw his workers were paying more attention to me than their work.

The gentlemen in these photographs are all Bangladeshi.  The youngest was 22 and spoke a bit of English.  The oldest was in his 50s.  They all seemed friendly enough, apart from one who remained suspicious and never offered even as much as a smile.

Lessons learned:  Bring offerings, get permission from the boss, be prepared to go back often to get more relaxed, natural images.  

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