Exercise - Paul Close's Environmental Portraits

PAUL CLOSE - ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS - SNAKEBOX ODYSSEY

I really enjoyed Paul Close's photographs on the link below.  They were all very clean and bright
which I like - dark and dourer have their place, but maybe because its so dreary here at the moment,
the sunshine I enjoyed.  On my first look I must admit that I liked the photographs as they were, wasn't sure if the white background enhanced them at all.  But they do stand out as being different and making them memorable.  I had seen something like this before, and the more I look at them the more I like them.  If it were me I would have liked to have taken three images, and he may have done so, but this image, one with just the white background, so seeing the person up close and in detail. And finally, one without the white background.  He may have done this.

This series of photographs gives a moving insight into the peoples lives of the Sahara and through West, central and East Africa.  For Paul Close what started his adventure was when his daughter broke a souvenir of his - a jack in the box type, with finger biting snake!!  It realised his ambition to travel across Africa on a motorcycle.  He set off with a friend, but he unfortunately had a bad accident, this was in 2006, and the trip was abandoned.  Paul went on his own to complete the trip in 2008.

The images in this exhibition we taken on the last two legs of the journey.  He would ask one person each day to sit for him.  Always using a white sheet to highlight the subject against the background and colour of everyday African life.  He would ask each sitter just one question..
Is there one thing that could make your life better ?

This remarkable collection of portraits and Paul's sensitive and deeply personal recounting of the subjects responses is always humbling and often humorous.
He is currently working on a book to share his African experiences with a wider audience.

Below are samples of the pictures, the first two have something that would make their life better, but picture three said .. nothing .. he was happy with his life ... isn't that lovely, because I should think he is far from having everything.

http://www.insight-visual.com/paul-exhibition.html

Paul Close's images can be seen here..