Home > Culture > Mentor Showcase > The 2007 Best-of Series: Karla Held
The 2007 'Best Of' Series
We have now produced an annual Best Of issue of the ASMP Bulletin for the third year in a row. As before, we selected twenty projects for our issue — but this year, we had nearly 200 excellent submissions! It was a tough decision, and we thank all those who submitted their work. We hope you will enjoy reading about these projects.
Karla Held, San Antonio, TX
Web site: www.karlaheld.com
Project: Documentation of Benin, Africa, Voodoo Festival
During a trip to revisit the Senegalese village where she previously served as a Peace Corps volunteer, Karla Held planned a stop at the Voodoo Festival in Benin. She arrived a week early to research customs and make local contacts, and by the festival’s end she was an invited guest at the home of the local chief. A successful pitch to her press agency resulted in her voodoo coverage getting international distribution.
All images in this article © Karla Held
ASMP: How long have you been in business?
For 5 years.
ASMP: How long have you been an ASMP member?
Since 2004.
ASMP: What are your photographic specialties?
Editorial and Documentary Photography
ASMP: Please describe the processes and techniques central to the making of this work.
The first part of the process was to have passion for the subject. Part of the technique, apart from obvious photographic abilities, was to be able to communicate in the local language (one of them being French, which I’m able to speak). I also arrived a week early to the festival and made local contacts and friends who enabled me to better understand the traditions.
ASMP: What do you consider your most valuable piece of equipment?
My brain! The ability to get along well with people around me and approach them in their language and with humility. My Nikon D70 was also an important piece of equipment.
ASMP: What is unique about your style/approach or what sets you and your work apart from other photographers?
I tend to focus on subjects I have a genuine passion for. I research the topic/subject on an intellectual, spiritual and personal level. Before I went to Benin, I did as much research as possible about the history of Voodoo in Benin and also Haiti. When I arrived to Benin, I searched out local sources of information such as the library at the American Cultural Center. I made an appointment with the cultural affairs officer there and asked him for advice about what publications to read. I made local friends and got their perspective on what I had researched. I was invited to local festivals and in people’s homes. When I was in the Peace Corps, I was taught to “gracefully accept hospitality when possible.” I used this approach while in Benin and it served me well.
ASMP: Of all the subjects in the world, what made you decide on Voodoo? Was this a self-assignment or were you working for a publication, etc?
It was a “self” assignment, but I knew the press agency, EPA (European Press Agency) would buy my photos as I had pitched my idea to them and they accepted. I’ve been interested in Voodoo since reading Wade Davis’ book The Serpent and the Rainbow. I went to Haiti in part due to my interest in Voodoo and, when I had the chance to go the Voodoo festival in Benin, I jumped at the chance. I’ve always been interested in religion and philosophy. This interest led me to live and work in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Thailand.
ASMP: Do you travel alone? What safety precautions do you take on the road?
Yes, I travel alone. I take precaution by making an effort to learn the local language — or at least one of them. French is the official language of Benin, but there are also many dialects such as Fon. I learned a bit of Fon when I was there and was already fluent in French. I take extra care at night and carry pepper spray when I remember it! (I’ve never used it, though.)
ASMP: As a female shooter, how do you handle yourself in predominately male environments? Has this ever been a problem? Please elaborate.
I try to be respectful of the culture I’m in, but also don’t let the environment limit me. I make local friends who I get along with and ask their advice about how to go about executing my projects. I would also go out and shoot with one of my local friends (who was male). This helped mitigate certain circumstances. There are times when men in Benin challenged me and tried to tell me that I didn’t have permission to take photos in their country, but I gave their grievances right back to them. I asked them firmly, “How is the rest of the world going to know how amazing your country is if you don’t let it be seen?” My friends from Benin supported me in this retort.
ASMP: How much equipment do you carry with you on the road?
A camera backpack with a Nikon D70 and 3 lenses that include a wide angle and zoom lens and a flash. The laptop goes with me as well.
ASMP: What was it like going back to Senegal, a place you had lived and worked 10 years earlier? Did you make any rephotographic style images that compare to or contrast with your time there earlier?
Good question! It was amazing to go back to Senegal. It was such a great education for me when I went a year after college in 1994. I’d wanted to go back for some time now mainly to thank all the people there who taught me so much, and let them know I hadn’t forgotten about them. I’ll never forget the look on my African “father’s” face when I greeted him in the peanut fields after a 10-year absence. He looked at me as if he was looking at a ghost. But he quickly smiled and we laughed together, just like old times.
It was hard to hear some of the news. One of my mothers (his 2nd wife) had died as had my 17-year-old brother. The good news is that female circumcision had been eradicated since I had been there and, apparently, my village was one of the first to agree to abandon the practice.
When I was in the Peace Corps, I was going through a silly phase and didn’t even bring a good camera, because I didn’t want photography to “take away from the experience.” Plus it was a Muslim country and I didn’t want to disrespect the culture. However, I had taken some snapshots and brought the copies with me and gave them to the people I had known. It was great to sit back and watch their facial expression as they looked at the photos of themselves taken 10 years prior.
This time I compensated for the lack of photos I took in 1994-1995 and took lots of photos. I published a travel article about my time in Senegal in Rumbo Diario, the local paper I worked for in Texas.
ASMP: Along with your imagery, you have done quite a bit of research on the Voodoo Festival, how do you plan to use it?
Yes, I’d like to collaborate with writers/anthropologist-types to do a larger project at some point.
ASMP: What was the most challenging aspect of shooting this event?
Getting deep enough into the aspects of Voodoo that interest me. It’s referred to as the “secret” religion — with good reason.
ASMP: In hindsight is there anything about your coverage of this event that you would have changed or done differently?
No.
ASMP: You have existing relationships with several different press agencies. Please describe. What are the benefits? Is there a downside?
I had contacted different agencies when I was in Africa. EPA worked with me the most. It’s great because my work would appear with their “sister” agencies in Spain, Australia, etc.
ASMP: Are you seeking or interested in additional representation of your photographs? If so, what considerations are most important to you for a relationship?
YES, definitely! Can you make that happen? (lol)
Considerations? I’d consider anyone who wanted to represent my work.
ASMP: You have also worked in documentary film production. What have you learned through these experiences that can be applied to your still photography work?
I learned that although I’m fascinated by documentary filmmaking, still photography is still my main passion. I learned, though, that there’s a lot to be said for working together as a team. I would like to work as part of team with future photography projects. It’s not only about photography, but the research that goes behind it and the writing that can go along with it.
ASMP: What are your future shooting plans? What will be your next adventure?
I now work as a staff photographer at the Herald-Zeitung, in Texas hill country. The city has two spring-fed rivers, this is why I chose to work here. I’m doing a few articles about Texas Rivers. I do the writing myself, but am also looking for writers to work with, as I think the final product would be stronger if I worked with professional writers.
I’d also like to publish more of the work I did during my travels last year. These took me not only to West Africa, but to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Thailand (where I lived in 1997 and in 2006).
