Photo Ops

When it comes to the people of a country, the most authentic moments of traveling are not caught on camera. In these times it's tempting to whip out the camera and take that shot that will represent exactly what I’m seeing, where I am. But I usually can’t do it.
Like when I was walking through the back streets of Istanbul, away from the tourism, and saw families living a poor, urban life. It would have summed up what I was seeing, the real Istanbul, a little raw. But no photo.
And the times I’ve gone down a village road this trip and seen ladies in headscarves and flowing dresses, kids running around and waving at me, and a man riding by on a cart pulled by a horse, a seemingly typical shot of Turkey, but no shot.
And when I happened in to a music shop in Konya and the man was making a Ney, the flute revered in the Sufi music of that region. Even though I would have liked to document what he was doing, I'd rather he just keep doing it unbothered. So no shot.
And when a man at a café walked over a mile out of his way, at least half an hour, to show me to a music shop I was asking about. We tried to talk to each other and I tried to tell him thanks, his action making up for all the seemingly rude or disinterested Turks I’ve met. The interaction was what was important, not getting a photo.
Or when I was able to eat delicious homemade food at the Egesel's home in Canakkale. Or finally got to have mezes, the famous Turkish appetizer dishes, with a bunch of local Izmirans. I was so busy shoving good food in my face under their direction, that I forgot to take a picture to show everyone.
Sometimes, like in the last instances, it’s that I’m actually caught up in the moment. But other times it’s the moment that is teaching me- and hopefully the other person- so to shoot a picture then would alter it.
Sometimes it seems that in order for the scene to play out like it has hundreds of times before, I need to stay out of it. So in that case, I wouldn’t interject myself by taking pictures.
Sometimes it’s the idea that I am just a guest in their home, and have no right to objectify them by making them a subject.
I’ve seen many tourists taking pictures of people like they're at the zoo, just because of the difference those people represent. It’s understandable to want to remember these things, these people, because it’s the difference- or often the similarity- compared to our lives that we learn from. I take plenty of photos of people, but I try not to take too many when they are aware of it.
Because when it comes to taking photos of people living their life, especially when they know we're taking the picture, I think it’s better if we let some of those moments play out with just our eyes and minds as the camera. That way the locals won’t think all tourists are photo-snapping dumbasses and might interact genuinely with us at some point.