Interview with Jonathan Jasberg / #URBANinsights
#URBANinsights are a series of exclusive interviews and insights dedicated to the winners of URBAN Photo Awards. The #URBANinsights of today is an interview with Jonathan Jasberg, Best Author of the 2022 edition of the contest: a recognition for his talent and the strength of his reportage, in particular Cairo: A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect, also awarded as an honorable mention.
Thank you for taking time to talk to us, and congratulations on being awarded Best Author of URBAN Photo Awards 2022 for your series Cairo: A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect.
Of the 60+ countries you’ve visited and photographed in, why choose Cairo to illustrate the old proverb “A Beautiful Thing Is Never Perfect” and not any other?
And what do you want the viewer to come away with or take back with them after viewing the series?
Thank you very much! It was an amazing surprise to be awarded Best Author of URBAN Photo Awards 2022 and a fantastic experience being able to participate by giving a talk about the Cairo project as well as attend all of the fantastic events of Trieste Photo Days.
Cairo is one of the most fascinating cities I’ve ever photographed in. I first went in 2018, and had no plans of starting a long-term photography project on the city at the time. It wasn’t until I was back there in 2020, spending a lot of time exploring deeper into the culture and history of Egypt that I stumbled upon this proverb. Not only did it beautifully sum up what I was hoping to capture in my images, but the proverb itself comes from ancient Egypt, making it a clear choice for me to use for this project on Cairo.
Through the spontaneity of a mix of classic and contemporary candid street photography techniques and styles, I aim to show moments of joy, sadness, quirkiness, and hope. I use purposely complex compositions to not only show a glimpse of the complexity of Cairo and the lives of the people that live there, but also include moments that even if we come from a completely different background, we can relate to, smile at, empathize with and appreciate the shared beauty and complexity of life.
Follow Up: How would you sum up the Cairo culture and which aspects of the culture do you think is possible to capture visually in order to communicate it in a way the wider audience recognizes as the culture of a place?
Cairo is one of the cultural capitals of the middle east, so it is almost difficult to capture photographs that don’t display one or more aspects of it. While the majority of the country is now muslim and people in traditional dress can be found everywhere, as well as beautiful mosques dotting the skyline, there are still many Coptics Christians and their culture can not only be seen in historic areas such as Coptic Cairo, in the gold markets and neighborhoods such as Mansheya Nasir, it is also very visible on and around the celebration of Christmas on 7 January throughout Cairo.
Why is a “beautiful thing never perfect”? And what does this say of beautiful things that are ‘perfect’?
To me, the proverb calls to question this idea of ‘perfection’ and simply dismisses it. It may exist, it may not. It is irrelevant. Beauty, love, life and the genuine appreciation of each is not concerned with the concept of perfection, rather it is concerned with the entire experience completely free of that construct.
In your view does imperfection draw viewers into the frame more effectively and emotionally than perfection? What kind of ‘imperfection’ you think works better at the level of an image and in what way, and why?
Imperfections, whatever they may be lend themselves to uniqueness. For images, especially street photography, imperfections such as compositions that are a bit off, blur, grain, soft focus, tend to give a sense of immediacy to the image. When I shoot, I try to never think about ‘composition’ in the traditional sense. I find that if I do, my images feel a bit flat and boring.
Follow Up: And if we were to extend “imperfection” to mean the state of being of a place, of a scene, or of a people and their mores, worn by time, weather and a changing world?
No matter if I’m in a modern city like Singapore, a cultural capital like Oaxaca, Mexico or an ancient city like Cairo, Egypt, I always find myself drawn to areas of a city that are aged beautifully, not only are the buildings and walls more interesting if they show a century or even a decade of wear vs. if they are freshly painted and patched, the people who inhabit those areas tend exude more character. You can almost see the history of the location in their face.
A layered frame may not always be self-evident to a viewer as to the small stories within it, the stories formed by a “before” and “after” in the scene portrayed that only the photographer is witness to.
Does this make it challenging to put the frame out in the public as a standalone image if you’re not around to explain it? Have you faced this issue?
I try and shoot frames that require no further explanation or supporting shots. This requires me to think about the context a lot and whether or not I am including too much or too little for the shot to work how I’d like. One of the beautiful things about street photography is that what seems to be apparent in the picture is often far from the reality of the actual event. It is not bound to the same ethical standards as documentary photography. Creatively omitting context and capturing a moment in a unique way can create moments that are almost complete fabrications of reality even though what is shown in the picture is 100% the truth from the camera at that time. There are several moments like this in my Cairo work where the reality of the scene was very different than the reality created by my camera during that split second.
Follow Up: Life on the street is a function of time, the longer you stay around, the more it reveals. And you cannot stay around long enough to know all of the truth, so photographers make do with a fraction of “the truth” frozen in a frame. Even so, were you at times tempted to stick around more out of curiosity to know what’s happening beyond the need to photograph it, to know more of the “truth” so to speak?
I like to stick around as long as possible. I generally am never concerned or thinking about if I have ‘the shot’, rather, I’m trying to stay in the scene until it dissolves or in the rare case I’m asked to leave. I can’t think of a time when I didn’t know the truth of the scene, but there are plenty where I’m purposefully omitting context from the shot to create my own truth.
Can a layered photo of a scene work equally well in Colour and Black & White? If not then what is the difference between them, and when or which of the two would you recommend photographers to use in starting out constructing layered frames?
I’ve dabbled in black and white over the years but really only worked in color. I dream in color and am very drawn to certain colors such as red. I’m also physically repulsed by certain colors. When I encounter colors I don’t like while out shooting I won’t even bother trying to put together a shot. I suppose if I were shooting black and white, this would no longer be an issue and I could potentially shoot scenes that I currently dismiss. However, conversely color can be used to add additional depth, symbolism and mood. The choice of B&W vs. color is up to the individual and both can clearly work. My advice would be to just keep it simple if you are working with color and try to use 1-3 main colors in an image for a better chance at having it work.
Follow Up: Is your inclination toward colour necessitated by the nature of a place (E.g. Cairo etc.) or a country (E.g. India etc.) or a geography (E,g, Asia) where colour is integral to the culture of the society and the psyche of its people?
While I am definitely drawn to more colorful cultures, cities, and countries, even in cities like Tokyo, where it seems most street photographers shoot in B&W, I still only shoot in color. I’m a bit addicted to making shots that work only because of the observed color coincidence or combination in the frame.
For a layered photo to work what are the key parameters you keep in mind when constructing the frame? And how would you rank them in order of importance?
I love finding clean and dynamic backgrounds to work off of. Something with structure and dimensional variety such as stairs, tunnels, doorways, etc. so that I can take advantage of frames as well as layered depth at various heights. I also look for static anchors to build off of and around. These could be landmarks, stationary people, structures, etc. From there, I try to identify my central narrative and zoom out visually, adding elements that work well to advance the frame while being aware of not adding dead space or distractions. Structure, clearly defined subjects, weighted balance, and movement is probably the order I work in most times.
As a photographer exploring and photographing cultures different from the one you grew up in, how do you see the connection (if you do) between the spaces that people inhabit and the culture those spaces facilitate? Would one survive without the other?
From my experience, while we can be culturally different as night and day, have opposing views, beliefs, etc., we all value community and welcome others who have a respectful curiosity to learn about other’s or our own. The culture, even if it feels invisible to the inhabitant is integral to our daily lives, constantly evolving and endlessly fascinating.
How has your interest in film-making and active exposure to the photography genres – travel, event, and production – helped inform your current practice? How important is versatility in other photography genres to be effective in urban/street photography?
As a result of my study of film I tend to think in terms of scenes when I’m out shooting. I photograph scenes, not people and am generally not concerned about anyone specific in the frame. Doing wedding / event photography also helped as I learned how to adopt the mindset of a documentary photographer and simply become ignorable in order to capture candid moments rather than worry about being invisible to the scene.
Where do you draw your inspiration from that informs and shapes your photographic eye – movies, books, photographers?
I really enjoy David Lynch as a film maker. He is able to create scenes in tv and movies that evoke emotion in ways that I’ve never experienced. For photographers, I’ve always been in awe of Alex Webb, Trent Parke, and Gregory Crewdson’s ability to do the same.
Where would you have taken up if you had not discovered photography? And why?
I’d probably make indy films as a hobby. I loved doing that before I got into photography and would love to do it more if I had unlimited time.
What would you tell someone wanting to enter into photography? How should they approach photography and why?
If you’re approaching it as a hobby, focus on enjoying the process. As long as you truly enjoy the image making process from beginning to end, the results will come.
If you’re approaching it as a career or part time job, focus on providing undeniable value and service, not about how much you are initially earning. If you can fill your calendar with clients that are requesting your work because they know you can deliver, you will have no choice but to become profitable. It takes a lot of working “for free”. But in reality, you are working “for experience”.
Where do you see yourself as a photographer two years from now and what do you hope the visitor takes away with them after seeing your photography?
I will still be traveling full-time as an independent street photographer working on personal projects and teaching workshops around the world.
I hope my photography inspires people to explore other cultures and places, as well as their own, with a curious mind and open heart (camera optional). If you are from an area that some of my photographs are from, I hope I am able to capture the essence of your location in a way that helps elevate your sense of pride and appreciation for your beautiful culture.
