Sharjah24: At the ongoing 8th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival (Xposure), in Sharjah, celebrated photographer Charlie Hamilton James offered a deeply personal and technical insight into his art at a talk titled ‘The Power of Emotion in Photography’.
He started working on David Attenborough’s BBC series ‘Trials of Life’ at just age 16 and went on to shape a successful career as a wildlife cameraman and director.
With his unique blend of humour and vulnerability, the now 50-year-old delved into the complexities of conveying emotion through photography and how it has reshaped his approach to capturing the natural world. "Emotion in photography is like charisma. You can't really pinpoint what it is, but without it, a photo has little meaning," Hamilton James explained. His quest to inject emotion into his work led him to explore the technical aspects of photography with a new lens, aiming to elicit a deeper connection between the viewer and the subject.
One of the most powerful moments in his talk came when Hamilton James discussed his recent art project, ‘End Times’, a powerful and brutal comment on the state of our planet, which is the collision of a lifetime of learning and understanding. “It’s like I’ve spent my life looking for something and I’ve finally found it,” he says of the project. “It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s powerful, it’s beautiful and it messes with your head, because it’s true.”
‘End Times’ features the provocative image ‘Scrolling to Indifference’. This photograph, featuring a model looking at her phone next to a dead elephant in Kenya, starkly comments on modern society's desensitisation to the world's pressing issues. “It is not a comment on the drought in Kenya, but a picture of how we consume media now,” he noted. This approach has led him to create metaphors through images that reflect the world and times we live in.
Another striking image of a dead giraffe wearing red shoes, titled ‘The World’s Going To End But You Can Buy Cool Stuff’, was taken while covering a catastrophic drought in Kenya, and kickstarted the project in 2022. “The giraffe died of consumption; too many people, asking too much of the planet. The giraffe is the victim, the red shoes represent the cause.”
Hamilton James emphasised the importance of engaging the audience and making them feel immersed in his photos. By adding layers of storytelling and anthropomorphising animals, he allows viewers to see themselves in the images, rendering a connection with the subjects. “When we see a bit of ourselves in the subjects, the emotional impact is immense. It’s about building up a character that we care about,” he said.
In an industry often dominated by the pursuit of technical perfection, Hamilton James’ focus on the emotional essence of photography, and thus a refreshing and impactful perspective. His work serves as a touching reminder that at the heart of every great photograph is an emotion waiting to be discovered and shared.
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