This has been on my mind for a couple of years now. I believe this might be perfect timing for me to get started on the #EyesForPeople endeavor.
I’ve been thinking about profiling people in this blog. By way of a photo story. Not a posed / setup photo story but a free-flowing “A Day in The Life of  X” style of photo story.
From when they wake up in the morning, get their glass of juice, do their Pilates, take their pets for a walk to meetings and phone calls related to work, to winding down in the evening with friends and family and then tucking in for the night.
I know it is a lot to ask someone to let me follow them around their home and office and private spaces and intimate moments for a full day. I also know it will be a lot of work from my end. The physical weight of my camera and the lens and the speedlight, bearing down on my shoulders for a full day. Balancing the dynamic of wanting to photograph everything but keeping the lens pointed at the floor because it doesn’t feel appropriate.
I spent three lovely days with designer Wendell Rodricks at his home in Goa. He welcomed me as family into his own home and let me photograph his life. I haven’t known Wendell for too long but the feeling of closeness is mutual and it stunned me how comfortable I was with him and from the photographs I can surmise, vice versa was true as well.
While I’m not expecting anyone else to give me such access, I do want to do this.
Everyone has busy lives and I can imagine what I would respond with if someone got in touch with me for a request like this. I recall a journalist recently asked me if I would document a day of my life and send them those photographs to feature in a “A Day With Naina Redhu” story. That was a few months ago and I don’t see myself doing it anytime soon. I’m not sure how to go about it. But if someone did get in touch with me where they offered to document it for me and then let me participate in the process of curation, I might be game. I might choose a day when I know I will be participating in exciting things. A day I will not be spending in bed in my jammies with my laptop.
I’m announcing my intent to do this feature with people. Initially I’m looking at people within my circle who know me and trust me and I will be asking them to recommend others in their circles. No strings attached.
Committing an entire day for just the photography is going to take some serious time out of my life – and this is when the curation and editing itself will be additionally time consuming. I’m thinking maybe one #EyesForPeople feature a month would be good to begin with. If at all.
I’m open to suggestions of what you think might work, for example, a couple of people have mentioned that expecting someone to share their entire day might be a bit much. As someone who might want to be featured or might know someone who might want to be featured, what approach do you think will work best?
Do you know someone who you would like me to feature? Leave suggestions as a comment?
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