Photojournalist to review long career

Logging into Facebook or refreshing Instagram can result in thousands of photos of everything from people’s nights out to their elaborate meals. Snapchat allows photos to be taken and sent off, only to be deleted moments later. It seems with every passing day, a new photography-based app comes into existence. But as we swipe so quickly through each filtering option, is there something we’re missing?

Photojournalist Geoffrey Hiller believes so. Hiller feels that in this frenzied, extremely photographed world, it’s important to slow down.

“Especially in these times with mobile photography and people posting photographs as often as they do, it helps to slow down a little bit,” he said.

Hiller has been photographing everyday life in Southeast Asian countries for more than 25 years. This Thursday, Nov. 13, he will speak at the Annenberg Space for Photography about what he has learned from his many experiences as a photographer.

Hiller’s message about experiencing the subjects of his photography will be the focus of his discussion at the event. He maintains that slowing down and reflecting on the works is engrained at the core of his process.

Hiller said there is a difference between taking the photograph and editing it. When a photographer is out in the field clicking away with their camera, it’s easy to become oblivious to what’s actually happening within the frame. This is why reflecting and taking time to edit is vital. Hiller remembers a time when he reviewed a set of photos a year after taking them and only then realized the tension in them.

“When you take a photograph, you can’t be thinking about it. You think about it before and after. Think about it and let it percolate in your head,” Hiller said.

The depth of each photograph he takes in the region is what drew Hiller to Southeast Asia, particularly Burma, a country not well recognized in the West. He first visited the country in 1987, but it was his visit in 2000 that had the greatest impact on him. The country was very isolated, and the people were wary of speaking to foreigners. Hiller approached people who were were working along the docks and hauling 100 pound bags of rice, but despite their hardships, when they talked with Hiller, they did so without self-pity. It was a humbling experience for Hiller, and one that made him decide he had to do something with his photos. As a result, he came out of the country with 90 rolls of film.

“They have a sense of resilience and grace at the same time,” Hiller said of the people of Burma.

Among other things, this impression is what Hiller hopes people will understand through his works.

“Hopefully when people see the photographs, it will cause them to reflect and to ask deeper questions than what’s on the surface,” he said.

For Hiller, the emotion of the people and the places he visits is what he’s trying to most capture. He jokes that he’s a romantic because when he takes photos, he looks for the beauty. But beneath the casual laughter that laces his words, there’s a sense of hope. It’s obvious when talking to Hiller that his travels have been life-changing, and all he really wants is for the audience to get the same sense of awe from his photos that he gets from his experiences abroad.

His lecture will display 80 photos, but reflection and editing played an important role in their selection. Hiller notes that there is a language for photographers; photos normally just stand out upon review. Every now and then, however, he notes that there are quiet gems that take serious reviewing.

For Hiller, “great photos are moments in time. It has to do with light, composition and, most importantly, the emotional integrity and impact of the photograph.” The greatness also comes from the absence of the photographer — Hiller knows his photos are great when his presence isn’t felt by the viewer.

“On the one hand, I’m talking about being meditative and reflective, on the other hand, when I’m out their photographing, it’s like a trance state,” Hiller said. “I’m trying to immerse myself, pick up on the place, the sense of place, because each place is different. If it’s Vietnam, Brazil, Southern California, there’s a special — I don’t want to say — essence, for me. There’s a feeling.”

Along with his discussion of the importance of slowing down, Hiller will also talk about his photography and how he got involved with the industry. In addition to his lecture, he made a documentary titled Grace Under Pressure, which is available online, as well as a book, Daybreak in Myanmar, which features 170 photographs and six interviews with historians, authors and activists.