Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision

The Language Barrier

I don’t believe in totally impenetrable language barriers; I prefer to think that resourceful and creative people can find ways of communicating without spoken language. Sure, I’ll have a tough time ordering the penne alla arrabiata without garlic but with extra capers. (Then again, capers are a little weird in any language.) For the rest of the stuff that is important for me to communicate, there’s gesture, the power of the human face, and a great deal of humility as I flap about and wave my arms in the streets.

“There’s gesture, the power of the human face, and a great deal of humility.”

Almost every place I am burning to photograph is full of people who speak a language other than mine. If I rely solely on spoken language ...