Interview published by The Independent Journalism Center on 13, March 2015 -In romanian
The 2015 Contest
drew entries from around the world: 97,912 images were submitted by 5,692 press
photographers, photojournalists, and documentary photographers from 131
countries.
The World Press
Photo of the year 2014 has been awarded to Danish photographer Mads Nissen, for
a picture of a gay couple in St.Petersburg. “Jon and Alex” are in an intimate moment. The picture draws attention to the
legal and social discrimination and harassment faced by gay people in Russia.
Jon and Alex, by Mads Nissen
The war in Siria, the Ebola virus, the situation of the illegal immigrants
among other topics have won also Prizes in different categories. An overall of
312 pictures have been selected as the best pictures in the press during 2014.
Also there is
one picture from Moldova named “Orphan Brothers” and taken by a Swedish
photojournalist called Åsa Sjöström. The picture was taken on 24, March 2014
and has won the Daily Life , 2nd prize singles.
Orphan Brothers by Åsa Sjöström
We decided to speak with Åsa to know
what was her motivation to come to Moldova and take pictures of the Moldavians
and how was the process while working here and also to have a global perspective
of the photography world.
Åsa Sjöström is a Swedish photographer based in Malmö,
Sweden. Her work focuses on social and cultural issues especially relating the
intimate world concerning women and children.
She has been given several grants and awards for her photo journalistic work such as World Press Photo 2015, 2006, Poyi 2015 and
Swedish Picture of the Year Award. Her work have been honored two times by
Unicef Picture of the Year Award and honored by Swedish Red Cross Journalism
Award among others. Too see more about her projects visit her website: www.asasjostrom.com
Why
did you choose Moldova? Which was your motivation and expectations?
Actually the first time I went to
Moldova in 2005, about ten years ago, I worked at the biggest Swedish newspaper
for one year, but after the year is
usually they have to employ you as photographer staff and this is really
complicated to happen. But this is a regular way to start. I wanted to do
something, so I started to work in my own and I was looking into going to the
Middle East, but a friend suggested me to go to Eastern Europe.
I thought about different options, I
started to look for useful information asking to my friends. In this way I
discovered Moldova and I asked my friends whom didn’t know anything about this
country. Many people think about Moldova as a country whit negative background,
people trafficking... and to be honest at the beginning I did that too.
The first thing I wanted to cover in
Moldova was a story about trafficking of women. I spent my first month in
Chisinau, but I spent two weeks in a shelter for children. I realized that to
work was really complicated. So I started to take pictures of the ballet school,
the building was beautiful and I spent some hours there taking pictures of the
dancers.
What
characteristic of the county caught your attention? Why do you say you felt in
love with Moldova?
The people that I have met are very
friendly and helpful. I think it has been quite easy to work as photographer
and the people were quite happy to speak with me and tell me the story. The
countryside is beautiful, but maybe the main reason why I like it is because
there is an unknown country, a really forgotten corner of Europe. There are lot
of interesting family stories there.
Even thought there is not lot of
information, do you agree in the way Moldova is showed in the international
media? Because maybe sometimes there are lot of stereotypes
I think is like that everywhere. If you
don’t spend time there you just scratch in the surface. It takes a time to show
the difficulties the country is having. I always try to stay as much as I can.
I think that is really important to be open to the changes, for example, before
to travel you can have an idea but when you get a place you can discover
interesting things and way to show it.
Did
you find any difficult taking pictures here?
At the beginning was complicated; lot of bureaucracy work. But somehow since my first trip I felt in love with Moldova and
I wanted to come back, so I did it. My interpreter helped me a lot and in this
trip I was showing an album with the ballet pictures to the people in order to
get a better answer from them. In 2005 and 2006 I traveled to Transnistria too
and it was a quite complicated back then. I saw a chance to go back to Moldova
when the Ukranian wars increasing because even the newspaper here were
interested in the Moldovan situation. I traveled in this time to Gagauzia
where we covered some stories. So, I can say that we have been traveling
around.
In
nowadays media landscape we are overwhelmed by images (video, pictures of
events, conflicts, war...). How do you choose what is worthy to be short or
not?
I find interesting to show the people
that you do not really see in the media. At the time to take the picture I try
to show small moments, not being really sad I just try to portrait the reality.
I try to show more than people usually expect. For example, in Dadaab, the
biggest refugee camp in the world close to Somalia, before I go there I just
saw picture of starving, and this is
necessary, but when I got there I was
overwhelm by the Dadaab as a community, they had cinema, outdoor activities,
families doing their activities. I found this really interesting and in my
opinion it is also necessary to show this reality.
Speaking
about the social value of the image... Do you consider that the picture
necessarily has to work as a driving force for a change?
You always wait to achieve something
with your stories; it is a dream for the journalist to change the reality. I am
focus in women and children and I try to show them from a beautiful
perspective, if you see a picture that make you look away this is not working
as well. In contrast if you a see a picture that is appealing to you in some
way is possible to see something else, you can stay out longer and even you can
be upset because you like this picture very much.
Moldova
Ballet school 2005. A serie of eight pictures was awarded 1st prize in World
Press Photo 2006 in the category Arts and Entertainment. Photo by Åsa Sjöström
So,
do you try to show also an artistic way when you shoot?
I like to work when the light is good
and I am not interfering in the people I try to be quiet when I work. That is
what I am aiming for. I try to look for a certain moment when I feel something.
In
your opinion, what are the different between photojournalism and artistic
photography?
I see myself as a photojournalist
because I am trying to tell stories. Some journalist are doing short of art
with the photography. Some like my picture and other consider that I am showing
a kind of negative side. I think many photographers hear that.
When I am not taking pictures I am
socializing, knowing the people, and then when something happens I take my
camera and I take pictures. I choose my time to shoot.
If a journalist is accused of being an
artist I don’t consider this is fair because everyone choose their own language
to tell the story. The good journalist or photographers have their own language
and I can see when a certain photographer has taken a picture and I like that.
But it is different if you have the
previous disposition to take artistic pictures, maybe with commercial purposes.
I do not do that.
Do
you work in a collective of photographers?
We are freelance, but we like to inspire
each other and hang out. I am going to start working on my own. I mostly choose
my own topics.
What
is your point of view in the use of new technologies or mobile application to
take pictures? Do you consider that everyone can be a photographer?
As a professional photographer you
cannot scare of that, we have to be better. I think is a lot of different, a
professional photographer spent lot of time to shoot a picture wanting to say
something. Everyone can snatch a picture on Instagram but, what does it say?
We have this discussion one in a while.
You can really see the differences between a professional photographer and
someone who is not. A professional is more into the people they photograph,
there is a meaning. I am snatch a lot with my mobile but for me it doesn’t mean
so much.
On the other hand sometimes to take
pictures with mobile phone is useful, for example in Syria or places where the
journalist hardly can go, some private person can show what is going go, but
you have to be deep into the picture to show the reality. At least for me,
sometimes it is a problem to know what is true or not. You cannot just believe
in everything you see.
For example, around 20% of photojournalists
are disqualified for the World Press Photo because they have manipulated the
pictures. I think this is really sad. We have to learn to be professional in
order to the people do not lost the credibility. I think you have to take care
of your credibility as photographer and also you have to look into when you see
other pictures.
Speaking
about the World Press Photo, do you consider that these kinds of events are
important for the photographers?
For me, every year I sent some pictures
if I had some good pictures to the Swedish Picture of the year award, because
is free. As a photographer I am really critical with myself. We are a couple of
photographers in Malmo where I live, we short of go thought the each other work
and this is sometimes that make you develop in some way.
This is kind of event put an eye on your
work everywhere in the world, sometimes I think about it ethically but is so
much behind all this work that are awarded. I think for the photojournalism and
the history this exhibitions and books are a way of keeping the photography and
photojournalism on a high level. And also make it interesting for other people,
and the story you have made can live a little bit longer.
Do
you have some advice for a student of photography?
It is always good photograph a lot, and
never be afraid to asking people. When you go into sensitive subjects, you have
to think why you are there, what you want to tell. You have a responsibility as
photographer and you have to take care of the stories that people share with
you.
Picture of Hugh Jr in the small village
of Baroncea Balti region. The picture was awarded first prize in Swedish
Picture of the Year Award, portrait and 3rd prize in Poyi portrait 2015. By Åsa Sjöström
For further information: HERE
By: Rubén Pulido /Francesco Brusa
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