Its now a little over 3 months since i started my project. I'm amazed at how fast this has all gone by and to be quite honest i've taken it very easily. I mean this in the sense of how i photograph. I've never been one to use burst mode in the hopes that something sticks. I like to take my time and be consistent. Which brings me to the point of this blog post. There was something i was very aware of before undertaking a project like this and really never figured out a way to go about it. barriers are never an easy thing to deal with, whether it be language or emotional. Anytime someone has tried to talk to me in another language, I usually just give them a few head nods and walk away. When i first started doing street photography work and encountering strangers is when i realized that a camera or a moment shared can break any barrier.
I had to throw out the option of avoidance while out here on the farm. It's kind of funny when you look back at yourself or think about what you just did in order to convey yourself to someone who doesn't understand what you are saying. I noticed that i actually make a lot of hand gestures. Some would say obnoxiously big hand gestures, but hey i feel like it got the point across. Unfortunately that technique will only get you so far. So i started just speaking straight up english to some people. Turns out that a few of them speak some pretty decent english and you can have some small talk with them.
Once i got past all the small talk, i slowly assimilated myself into the workers day to day jobs. If there is anything to take away from this, It's patience, persistence and have a camera on you at all times. I've been out with the people that help on the farm day in and day out. I can see from the first few images i took of some people working to Images i take today. It's like night and day. People really do start to get comfortable around you just from time. They still don't know a lot about me but at this point its like they know and trust me.
This isn't a perfect method for assimilating into a project where you come across some sort of barrier, But it doesn't hurt. So if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. Don't give up and keep at it. Always be ready with a camera in hand.