Monday, May 16, 2011

Public Faces, Private Stories: Emma Dodge Hanson

May 16, 2011

Yesterday in the Greenwich Library's Meeting Room when the day was very monotone in shades of gray, photographer Emma Dodge Hanson talked fluidly about her brilliant black and white portraits from her book, Solo showcasing her portraits and interviews of best known women in the music world, to some of the war veterans and survivors of the Battle of Stalingrad when she travelled to Russia last year.

Emma also showed photos from her book, Faces of Layla, an orphanage in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Breaking away from her normal medium of black and white photography, Emma shot these photos in color to truly show the vividness of the orphanage and sense of hope instead of  the austerity and bleakness of the situations. The author David Guterson wrote of this book "... complex web of light and life that animates these resilient and heartbreakingly beautiful children. These photos offer up the grief, delight, perseverance that are so pervasive at Layla House."

Emma talked about her five Rules for a good photo - composition, tones, the moment, the story and the personal investment. For instance, look closely at Sheryl Crow in this photo. You know she is a serious female rock vocalist and has a tough side to her. But, you can see and feel the softness and tenderness  that was taken in a brief moment.  Emma always tries to distract the person's thinking from the photo shoot so that they will be relaxed and "in the moment." She may ask them about a child, or something funny that happened to them in the past, just something to get their mind off of being photographed.
Professionally, Emma always has her digital camera ready to capture the moments that are so fleeting and unexpected.  She also revealed that she doesn't use any photo software programs to change anything in her photos. And, her favorite time to shoot when the natural light is perfect - an hour before sunset. 




While in Russia last year, Emma experienced the tales of torture, death and grief from some of the 49 survivors of the Battle of Stalingrad ( major battle of World War II in which Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in southwestern Russia. It took place between July 17, 1942 and  February 2, 1943)  Even though Emma was unable to understand the Russian language, she understood their gestures, facial expressions and tears when retelling their life stories.

To see life through the camera lens is to see life's events for a moment but captured forever.