My first reactions looking through the images were about shock, horror, how appalling that situation is (beyond appalling), but also how sensitive the images are. Not Natasha is a series about sex trafficking in Eastern Europe and the impact it has on the victim's lives and their families. More information about the series is available from lens culture.
Looking through the images you see evidence of how young the girls are, how unhappy they are, the damage they are suffering (scars from self-harming), how cheap their lives are, how they have been objectified, abused, tortured, how their families are ripped apart, their lives devastated by the kidnappings, some are even betrayed by their families (one girl was sold by her fiance) and to be frank, it's sickening. Sickening that human beings can be so depraved and vile to other human beings. In some images you see the victims, in others you see their environment, and evidence of their existence (traces) or their situations. And although these images have been sympathetically shot, there is no doubt that Popa is engaged and on some level also feeling their pain, I find them chilling. It is a horror story equal to that of conflict photography.
In terms of photographer's engagement - it's clear that she had researched her subject, and spent a lot of time with the girls getting to know them and their story, traveling to do so. She must have also taken many risks with her own safety to do so. She spoke with seventeen different women to gain an insight into their lives and in doing so must have had been able to show a protective, sympathetic and supportive approach. To get people to open up on a subject like this must be very challenging emotionally, for both subject and photographer. I wonder if Popa needed emotional support herself to be able to produce a body of work that is subjective, but also stands up as a solid documentary.
One thing I noticed, which contradicts the advice I have been given about putting a series together is the format of the photographs. I have been told repeatedly that a series should be visually consistent, which this is in tone/colour/subject/emotion - but not in format. She has mixed horizontal/vertical rectangles with squares, some with a white border, some with no border, some with text, some without text. What does this mean? It's obviously deliberate. Is it a commentary on complexity?
How does this relate to my work? Why was this recommended to me? The recommendation came as a result of my work for Assignment Two which was street/travel photography in theme. My approach to street photography is not a documentary/reportage approach like this, but a spontaneous and impulsive exploration of random events looking for twists and irony in every day life. I like to combine it with the travel element as this gives me a fresh and curious perspective; I notice more when I'm abroad than I do at home. It's new, different and exciting, and to be honest, I get an adrenaline surge from doing it. Even planning the trips gives me a rush.
So at the moment, I can only relate to this work coming from a position of both deep sympathy and appreciation of the amazing photographic skill and engagement. I have thought a lot about where my photography is going over the past couple of years, and I'm happy with the direction it's heading at the moment. I'm having a lot of fun with it, and for me, right now, that's what I want. After a 50 hour working week, 15 hours of commuting, squeezing in friends, family and degree work (see Assignment Three for that context!) - all nice problems to have, but I do need to let off steam (not make more steam). I realise that as this degree progresses, I may need to dig a lot deeper than I am at present, but I don't think I could take on something as committed and engaging as this right now. BUT as time goes on, I'm sure I will, particularly once I have retired or maybe even once I've found something that I desperately want to document. I can see myself in the future, once I have more time, making documentaries/reportage articles about animal conservation and protection issues. That's why I'm dabbling in Wildlife Photography as well!
I have also been thinking about documenting journeys along barriers, e.g. Israel/West Bank and making comparisons between people's lives.
Websites:
- not Natasha by Dana Popa available from http://www.danapopa.com/gallery.php?ProjectID=218/photos/gallery/not_natasha_for_the_website_32-2.jpg [accessed 25 January 2015]
- not Natasha in lensculture magazine available from https://www.lensculture.com/articles/dana-popa-not-natasha [accessed 25 January 2015]
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