TEDIndia 2009
Ryan Lobo: Photographing the hidden story
瑞恩罗勃：拍摄那些背后的故事
Filmed:
Readability: 4.5
595,772 views
瑞恩罗勃游历世界，拍摄并记录下许多不寻常的人生。在这次令人难忘的讲述中，他以同情宽容重构了战争这个颇具争议的话题。由此，我们看到了利比里亚战争后一个罪犯的痛苦；看到了联合国维和部队中女性成员们平静而坚毅的力量；看到了德里城中被忽视的消防员身上坚忍不拔的精神。
Ryan Lobo - Photographer
As a photographer and filmmaker, Ryan Lobo uses his exquisite lens to capture humanity and nature at their most open and vulnerable moments. Full bio
As a photographer and filmmaker, Ryan Lobo uses his exquisite lens to capture humanity and nature at their most open and vulnerable moments. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
My name is Ryan Lobo,
0
0
2000
我叫瑞恩罗勃
00:17
and I've been involved in the documentary
1
2000
2000
最近10年间，我在世界各地
00:19
filmmaking business all over the world for the last 10 years.
2
4000
4000
参与纪录片的摄制工作
00:23
During the process of making these films
3
8000
2000
制作这些影片的过程中
00:25
I found myself taking photographs,
4
10000
3000
我开始不自觉的拍摄照片
00:28
often much to the annoyance of the video cameramen.
5
13000
3000
这举动常引起摄像师不满
00:31
I found this photography of mine almost compulsive.
6
16000
3000
但我发现我几乎是情不自禁的想拍照
00:34
And at the end of a shoot, I would sometimes feel that
7
19000
3000
并且在按下快门的那一霎那，我常觉得
00:37
I had photographs that told a better story
8
22000
3000
比起一部偶尔令人动容的纪录片
00:40
than a sometimes-sensational documentary.
9
25000
4000
我的照片讲述了一个更好的故事
00:44
I felt, when I had my photographs,
10
29000
2000
我觉得，拍照
00:46
that I was holding on to something true,
11
31000
2000
可以让我把握住那些真实的东西
00:48
regardless of agendas or politics.
12
33000
3000
不管它们是否有资格提上议事日程或是牵涉政治
00:51
In 2007, I traveled to three war zones.
13
36000
4000
2007年里，我去过三个战区
00:55
I traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan and Liberia.
14
40000
3000
我到过伊拉克、阿富汗和利比里亚(西非国家)
00:58
And over there I experienced
15
43000
2000
在那里，我切身的体验到了
01:00
other people's suffering, up close and personal,
16
45000
3000
当地人所遭受的痛苦
01:03
immersed myself in some rather intense and emotional stories,
17
48000
4000
我让自己也沉浸在了一些紧张曲折并且令人动容的故事之中
01:07
and at times I experienced great fear for my own life.
18
52000
5000
当然有的时候，我也非常担心自己的生命受到威胁
01:12
As always, I would return to Bangalore,
19
57000
2000
通常，我会回到班加罗尔（印度城市）
01:14
and often to animated discussions at friend's homes,
20
59000
3000
并时常在朋友家中进行激烈的讨论
01:17
where we would discuss various issues
21
62000
2000
我们会讨论各式各样的问题
01:19
while they complained bitterly about the new pub timings,
22
64000
3000
可是他们总狠狠抱怨新酒吧营业时间
01:22
where a drink often cost more than what they'd paid
23
67000
2000
说是在那儿喝上一杯的钱要比
01:24
their 14-year-old maid.
24
69000
2000
他们付给14岁女仆的工钱还多
01:26
I would feel very isolated during these discussions.
25
71000
4000
在这样儿的争论中，我会感觉非常孤立
01:30
But at the same time, I questioned myself
26
75000
3000
但同时，我质问自己
01:33
and my own integrity and purpose in storytelling.
27
78000
4000
质问自己的诚实以及讲述那些故事的真正目的
01:37
And I decided that I had compromised,
28
82000
4000
之后，我决定需有所妥协
01:41
just like my friends in those discussions,
29
86000
3000
就像那些争论中的我的朋友们那样
01:44
where we told stories
30
89000
3000
争论来争论去
01:47
in contexts we made excuses for,
31
92000
3000
讲不着边际的话不过是给自己寻找借口
01:50
rather than taking responsibility for.
32
95000
4000
而不是为了承担责任
01:54
I won't go into details about what led to a decision I made,
33
99000
7000
我不会详述使我作出这个决定的原因
02:01
but let's just say it involved alcohol, cigarettes,
34
106000
2000
不过可以简单概括成，酒精、香烟
02:03
other substances and a woman.
35
108000
3000
一些其它的东西和女人
02:06
(Laughter)
36
111000
1000
（笑声）
02:07
I basically decided that it was I,
37
112000
2000
基本上我认为只有我自己本身
02:09
not the camera or the network,
38
114000
2000
而不是相机或网络
02:11
or anything that lay outside myself,
39
116000
3000
也不是其他外界事物
02:14
that was the only instrument in storytelling
40
119000
2000
我自己本身才是讲述故事时，唯一一件
02:16
truly worth tuning.
41
121000
3000
真正值得调弦的乐器
02:19
In my life, when I tried to achieve things
42
124000
3000
在我的生活里，当我努力想达成某个目标
02:22
like success or recognition, they eluded me.
43
127000
3000
比如想取得成功或是得到认同的时候，它们反倒躲着我
02:25
Paradoxically, when I let go of these objectives,
44
130000
3000
相反，当我放开这些所谓目标
02:28
and worked from a place of compassion and purpose,
45
133000
3000
从一个充满着关怀同情和美好志向的地方起步
02:31
looking for excellence, rather than the results of it,
46
136000
4000
当我追求卓越，而不仅仅是追求结果的时候
02:35
everything arrived on its own, including fulfillment.
47
140000
5000
所有之前追求的所谓目标反倒不期而至的达成了，包括成功
02:40
Photography transcended culture, including my own.
48
145000
3000
摄影艺术是超越文化的，包括我们自己的文化
02:43
And it is, for me, a language which expressed the intangible,
49
148000
4000
对于我来说，摄影就是一种语言，它描述出我们无法触及难以理解的事物
02:47
and gives voice to people and stories without.
50
152000
2000
它给予故事本身以及故事中人物原本所没有的发言权
02:49
I invite you into three recent stories of mine,
51
154000
2000
现在我邀你一同经历我刚经历的三个故事
02:51
which are about this way of looking, if you will,
52
156000
3000
都是关于看事物的角度
02:54
which I believe exemplify the tenets
53
159000
3000
我觉得在故事讲述过程中所展示的义理
02:57
of what I like to call compassion in storytelling.
54
162000
4000
我更愿意称之为宽容同情
03:01
In 2007 I went to Liberia,
55
166000
5000
2007年，我去了利比里亚
03:06
where a group of my friends and I
56
171000
4000
在那里，我和一群朋友
03:10
did an independent, self-funded film, still in progress,
57
175000
3000
制作了一部自己出资的独立电影，当然现在仍在制作中
03:13
on a very legendary and brutal war-lord
58
178000
4000
它是一部极具传奇色彩却是关于残忍军阀的电影
03:17
named General Butt Naked.
59
182000
2000
其中的残忍军阀被称作做光屁股将军
03:19
His real name is Joshua, and he's pictured here in a cell
60
184000
3000
他的真名叫约书亚。他是在牢房里接受我们拍摄的
03:22
where he once used to torture and murder people,
61
187000
3000
在那个过去他用来折磨并屠杀平民的牢房
03:25
including children.
62
190000
3000
其中也包括孩子
03:28
Joshua claims to have personally killed
63
193000
2000
约书亚声称在利比里亚内战中
03:30
more than 10,000 people during Liberia's civil war.
64
195000
4000
曾亲手杀死了超过10，000人
03:34
He got his name from fighting stark naked.
65
199000
3000
他之所以得到那个外号是由于常常打仗时赤身裸体
03:37
And he is probably the most prolific mass murderer
66
202000
2000
另外，他也许是现今世上杀人最多的谋杀犯中
03:39
alive on Earth today.
67
204000
3000
仍苟延残喘的一个
03:42
This woman witnessed the General murdering her brother.
68
207000
5000
这位妇女曾亲眼看见这个将军杀死自己的兄弟
03:47
Joshua commanded his child-soldiers to commit unspeakable crimes,
69
212000
3000
约书亚还命令他的童子军犯下了罄竹难书的罪行
03:50
and enforced his command with great brutality.
70
215000
3000
并强迫他们以一种极残忍的形式执行他的命令
03:53
Today many of these children are addicted to drugs like heroin,
71
218000
3000
现在，很多当时的童子军都已染上毒瘾，比如海洛因
03:56
and they are destitute, like these young men in the image.
72
221000
5000
而且他们穷困潦倒，好比相片中的这些年轻人
04:01
How do you live with yourself
73
226000
2000
你要怎样活下去
04:03
if you know you've committed horrific crimes?
74
228000
5000
如果你清楚自己曾经犯下可怕的罪行
04:08
Today the General is a baptized Christian evangelist.
75
233000
4000
如今，这位将军已经受洗成为一位基督教传教士
04:12
And he's on a mission.
76
237000
2000
并且他正在执行使命
04:14
We accompanied Joshua, as he walked the Earth,
77
239000
3000
我们陪着约书亚，踏上路途，
04:17
visiting villages where he had once killed and raped.
78
242000
3000
去拜访那些他曾烧杀抢掠过的村庄
04:20
He seeked forgiveness,
79
245000
2000
他祈求原谅
04:22
and he claims to endeavor to improve
80
247000
2000
说一定会努力改善
04:24
the lives of his child-soldiers.
81
249000
2000
那些童子军的生活
04:26
During this expedition I expected him
82
251000
2000
这次的远行，我总感觉
04:28
to be killed outright, and us as well.
83
253000
2000
我们会连同他一起被立刻杀掉
04:30
But what I saw opened my eyes
84
255000
2000
但我所看到的
04:32
to an idea of forgiveness
85
257000
2000
使我真切的理解了宽恕的意义
04:34
which I never thought possible.
86
259000
3000
在此之前我从未认为这种事可能发生
04:37
In the midst of incredible poverty and loss,
87
262000
3000
身处难以置信的穷困，遭受了巨大的损失
04:40
people who had nothing absolved a man
88
265000
2000
那些可以说一无所有的人们却宽恕了这个罪人
04:42
who had taken everything from them.
89
267000
4000
尽管他曾夺走了他们的一切
04:46
He begs for forgiveness,
90
271000
2000
他乞求原谅
04:48
and receives it from the same woman
91
273000
2000
就得到了刚才提到的那位妇女的原谅
04:50
whose brother he murdered.
92
275000
3000
尽管这位妇女和约书亚有着杀兄之仇
04:53
Senegalese, the young man seated on the wheelchair here,
93
278000
2000
塞内加尔，坐在轮椅上的这位年轻人
04:55
was once a child soldier, under the General's command,
94
280000
3000
曾经是童子军中一员，听从这位将军的指令
04:58
until he disobeyed orders,
95
283000
2000
直到他违背了命令
05:00
and the General shot off both his legs.
96
285000
4000
将军用枪射断了他的双腿
05:04
He forgives the General in this image.
97
289000
3000
在这张照片中，他同样原谅了这位将军
05:07
He risked his life as he walked up to people
98
292000
2000
约书亚冒着生命危险
05:09
whose families he'd murdered.
99
294000
3000
走向受害者的家人们
05:12
In this photograph a hostile crowd in a slum surrounds him.
100
297000
3000
在这张照片中，贫民窟中一群人围住了他，充满敌意
05:15
And Joshua remains silent
101
300000
3000
但是约书亚保持沉默
05:18
as they vented their rage against him.
102
303000
4000
就算人们朝他发泄他们的愤怒
05:22
This image, to me, is almost like from a Shakespearean play,
103
307000
2000
这张照片，对于我来说，无疑算得上莎翁剧本中的一幕：
05:24
with a man, surrounded by various influences,
104
309000
3000
一个深受各种势力影响的人
05:27
desperate to hold on to something true within himself,
105
312000
4000
拼命地想把握住自身中一些真实的东西
05:31
in a context of great suffering that he has created himself.
106
316000
4000
处在这样的痛苦之中，他变为现在的样子
05:35
I was intensely moved during all this.
107
320000
2000
我被所见所感深深打动
05:37
But the question is,
108
322000
2000
但问题是
05:39
does forgiveness and redemption replace justice?
109
324000
4000
宽恕和补救能否取代正义？
05:43
Joshua, in his own words, says that he does not mind
110
328000
2000
约书亚说他不害怕
05:45
standing trial for his crimes,
111
330000
2000
站上自己罪行的审判台
05:47
and speaks about them from soapboxes across Monrovia,
112
332000
2000
他在蒙罗维亚(利比里亚首都)演讲时也谈到了这些
05:49
to an audience that often includes his victims.
113
334000
4000
演讲时，听众中常有他的受害者
05:53
A very unlikely spokesperson for the idea of
114
338000
2000
看上去他并不是一个合适的人选
05:55
separation of church and state.
115
340000
3000
来宣传政教分离的主张
05:58
The second story I'm going to tell you about
116
343000
2000
第二个故事中，我将要为你们讲述
06:00
is about a group of very special fighting women
117
345000
2000
一群非常特别的女兵
06:02
with rather unique peace-keeping skills.
118
347000
3000
她们拥有相当独特的维和技巧
06:05
Liberia has been devastated by one of Africa's
119
350000
2000
利比里亚在一场全非洲最血腥的内战之后
06:07
bloodiest civil wars,
120
352000
2000
已是满目疮痍
06:09
which has left more than 200,000 people dead,
121
354000
2000
在这场内战中，超过200,000人死亡
06:11
thousands of women scarred by rape and crime
122
356000
2000
成千上万的女性在无数强奸以及
06:13
on a spectacular scale.
123
358000
3000
其他犯罪事件的阴影下惶惶不可终日
06:16
Liberia is now home
124
361000
2000
利比里亚现在是
06:18
to an all-woman United Nations contingent
125
363000
2000
所有联合国维和部队中
06:20
of Indian peacekeepers.
126
365000
3000
印度女性的家
06:23
These women, many from small towns in India,
127
368000
2000
这些女性，大多来自印度的小城镇
06:25
help keep the peace, far away from home and family.
128
370000
5000
远离故乡和家人到各处帮助维持和平
06:30
They use negotiation and tolerance
129
375000
2000
她们更多的选择协商及容忍的方式
06:32
more often than an armed response.
130
377000
2000
而不是以武力解决问题
06:34
The commander told me that a woman could gauge
131
379000
2000
指挥官告诉我，女性
06:36
a potentially violent situation
132
381000
2000
能比男性更好的判断出
06:38
much better than men.
133
383000
2000
潜在的暴力局面
06:40
And that they were definitely capable of diffusing it non-aggressively.
134
385000
4000
并且毫无疑问，她们更能以一种非暴力的方式淡化这种局面
06:44
This man was very drunk,
135
389000
2000
这个男人醉得一塌糊涂
06:46
and he was very interested in my camera,
136
391000
2000
他似乎对我的相机非常感兴趣
06:48
until he noticed the women, who handled him
137
393000
2000
直到他注意到抓住他那位女兵
06:50
with smiles, and AK-47s at the ready, of course.
138
395000
3000
面带笑容，当然，手握上膛的AK-47
06:53
(Laughter)
139
398000
1000
（笑声）
06:54
This contingent seems to be quite lucky,
140
399000
3000
这个小分队似乎比较走运
06:57
and it has not sustained any casualties,
141
402000
2000
她们之中还没有人在战乱中身亡
06:59
even though dozens of peacekeepers have been killed in Liberia.
142
404000
3000
尽管很多维和人员在利比里亚牺牲
07:02
And yes, all of those people killed were male.
143
407000
4000
是的，所有被杀的人都是男性
07:06
Many of the women are married with children,
144
411000
2000
很多女性维和人员都已结婚并有了孩子
07:08
and they say the hardest part of their deployment
145
413000
3000
她们说，被分配部署后最难熬的便是
07:11
was being kept away from their children.
146
416000
3000
必须与她们的孩子分离
07:14
I accompanied these women on their patrols,
147
419000
2000
我陪同她们一起巡逻
07:16
and watched as they walked past men,
148
421000
2000
看着她们与男人们擦肩而过
07:18
many who passed very lewd comments incessantly.
149
423000
3000
许多男人经过时不住地粗言秽语着
07:21
And when I asked one of the women about the shock and awe response,
150
426000
2000
当我向她们之中的一位问起这种令人震惊和畏惧的反应时
07:23
she said, "Don't worry, same thing back home.
151
428000
2000
她说：“不用担心，我们家那儿也是这样的
07:25
We know how to deal with these fellows,"
152
430000
2000
我们知道怎么对付这些家伙”
07:27
and ignored them.
153
432000
3000
无视他们
07:30
In a country ravaged by violence against women,
154
435000
2000
在这个被一切针对女性的暴力行径所毁坏的国家中
07:32
Indian peacekeepers have inspired many local women
155
437000
3000
印度维和部队鼓舞了很多当地女性
07:35
to join the police force.
156
440000
2000
她们纷纷加入警察部门
07:37
Sometimes, when the war is over and all the film crews have left,
157
442000
3000
其实有时候，当战争结束，摄制组也已离开
07:40
the most inspiring stories are the ones
158
445000
2000
那些最振奋人心的故事
07:42
that float just beneath the radar.
159
447000
3000
就活生生的在雷达下上演
07:45
I came back to India and nobody was interested in buying the story.
160
450000
4000
我回到印度，没人有兴趣出版这个故事
07:49
And one editor told me that she wasn't interested
161
454000
2000
一位编辑告诉我说，她没兴趣
07:51
in doing what she called "manual labor stories."
162
456000
5000
制作一部她所谓的“讲体力活儿的故事”
07:56
In 2007 and 2009 I did stories on the Delhi Fire Service, the DFS,
163
461000
5000
在2007年和2009年，我在德里消防中心拍摄
08:01
which, during the summer, is probably the world's most active fire department.
164
466000
3000
每当夏天来临，那里算得上是世界上最忙碌的消防中心
08:04
They answer more than 5,000 calls in just two months.
165
469000
3000
仅仅2个月，他们就接到了超过5000次火警
08:07
And all this against incredible logistical odds,
166
472000
3000
这一切都是在后勤难以置信的不利状况下完成的
08:10
like heat and traffic jams.
167
475000
3000
比如高温酷热和交通堵塞
08:13
Something amazing happened during this shoot.
168
478000
2000
在这次拍摄中，一些令人惊叹的事情发生了
08:15
Due to a traffic jam, we were late in getting to a slum,
169
480000
3000
由于交通堵塞，我们到达的有些迟
08:18
a large slum, which had caught fire.
170
483000
3000
着火的是一个很大的贫民窟
08:21
As we neared, angry crowds attacked our trucks
171
486000
3000
当我们快接近的时候，愤怒的人群开始攻击消防车
08:24
and stoned them, by hundreds of people all over the place.
172
489000
3000
几百人从四面八方向着消防车扔石头
08:27
These men were terrified,
173
492000
2000
消防员们非常惊慌
08:29
as the mob attacked our vehicle.
174
494000
3000
因为暴民不断攻击着消防车
08:32
But nonetheless, despite the hostility,
175
497000
2000
尽管如此，消防员们不顾人群的敌意
08:34
firefighters left the vehicle and successfully fought the fire.
176
499000
4000
他们离开车辆，然后成功的扑灭了火焰
08:38
Running the gauntlet through hostile crowds,
177
503000
2000
一些消防员冒险穿过了充满敌意的人群
08:40
and some wearing motorbike helmets to prevent injury.
178
505000
3000
一些人头戴摩托车头盔以防伤害
08:43
Some of the local people forcibly took away the hoses
179
508000
3000
有些当地人从消防员手中强行抢过水管
08:46
from the firemen to put out the fire in their homes.
180
511000
3000
来扑灭自家房屋的火焰
08:49
Now, hundreds of homes were destroyed.
181
514000
2000
几百栋房屋被烧毁
08:51
But the question that lingered in my mind was,
182
516000
4000
但回旋在我脑海中的问题是
08:55
what causes people to destroy fire trucks
183
520000
3000
人们为什么要攻击消防车
08:58
headed to their own homes?
184
523000
2000
为什么要攻击去帮他们扑灭火焰的消防车？
09:00
Where does such rage come from?
185
525000
3000
他们狂暴的怒气又是从何而来？
09:03
And how are we responsible for this?
186
528000
4000
我们对此有什么责任？
09:07
45 percent of the 14 million people
187
532000
3000
德里市的1千4百万居民中有45%
09:10
who live in Delhi live in unauthorized slums,
188
535000
2000
住在非法的贫民窟
09:12
which are chronically overcrowded.
189
537000
3000
那里总是过于拥挤
09:15
They lack even the most basic amenities.
190
540000
2000
他们缺乏那些哪怕是最基础的生活设施
09:17
And this is something that is common to all our big cities.
191
542000
5000
这个也是所有大城市共同存在的问题
09:22
Back to the DFS. A huge chemical depot caught fire,
192
547000
3000
话题再回到德里消防中心。有一个巨大的化学物品仓库着火了
09:25
thousands of drums filled with petrochemicals
193
550000
3000
几千筒石化产品
09:28
were blazing away and exploding all around us.
194
553000
3000
正在猛烈燃烧并且在身边爆炸
09:31
The heat was so intense, that hoses were used
195
556000
2000
火场的温度太高，以至于要用水管
09:33
to cool down firefighters
196
558000
2000
来给消防员降温
09:35
fighting extremely close to the fire, and with no protective clothing.
197
560000
4000
这些消防员极其接近火焰，却没有穿能保护他们的防火服
09:39
In India we often love to complain about our government bodies.
198
564000
4000
在印度，我们热衷于抱怨我们的政府机构
09:43
But over here, the heads of the DFS,
199
568000
2000
但在这里，德里消防中心的总部
09:45
Mr. R.C. Sharman, Mr. A.K. Sharman,
200
570000
2000
R.C. Sharman先生和A.K. Sharman先生
09:47
led the firefight with their men.
201
572000
3000
带领着他们的手下不断执行着消防任务
09:50
Something wonderful in a country where
202
575000
2000
在一个如此棒的国家下
09:52
manual labor is often looked down upon.
203
577000
3000
体力劳动却如此被轻视
09:55
(Applause)
204
580000
4000
（掌声）
09:59
Over the years, my faith in the power of storytelling has been tested.
205
584000
4000
多年来，我坚信一段故事带来震撼的信念曾经动摇
10:03
And I've had very serious doubt about its efficacy,
206
588000
3000
并且我甚至极度怀疑它的功效
10:06
and my own faith in humanity.
207
591000
2000
以及我对人性的信心
10:08
However, a film we shot still airs on the National Geographic channel.
208
593000
4000
然而，我们拍摄的纪录片还是在国家地理频道上面播出了
10:12
And when it airs I get calls from all the guys I was with
209
597000
4000
当它播出的时候，我接到了当时所有工作人员的电话
10:16
and they tell me that they receive hundreds of calls congratulating them.
210
601000
4000
他们都告诉我，他们接到了上百个表示祝贺的电话
10:20
Some of the firemen told me that they were also inspired
211
605000
2000
一些消防员告诉我，他们很受鼓舞
10:22
to do better because they were so pleased
212
607000
2000
会努力做到更好，因为他们非常开心收到的是感谢
10:24
to get thank-yous rather than brick bats.
213
609000
3000
而不是飞来板砖
10:27
It seems that this story helped change perceptions about the DFS,
214
612000
4000
这个故事似乎改变了人们对德里消防部的看法
10:31
at least in the minds of an audience in part on televisions,
215
616000
3000
至少是电视屏幕前的部分观众
10:34
read magazines and whose huts aren't on fire.
216
619000
3000
杂志的一些读者以及那些家里没着火的人
10:37
Sometimes, focusing on what's heroic, beautiful and dignified,
217
622000
5000
有时，关注那些关于勇敢，美好和崇高的故事
10:42
regardless of the context,
218
627000
2000
无论其内容是什么
10:44
can help magnify these intangibles three ways,
219
629000
4000
都有助于在三方面上进一步发扬这些无形的品质
10:48
in the protagonist of the story, in the audience,
220
633000
4000
让这些品质永存于故事主角中、永存于听众
10:52
and also in the storyteller.
221
637000
2000
还有讲述者心中
10:54
And that's the power of storytelling.
222
639000
2000
这就是故事叙述所蕴含的力量
10:56
Focus on what's dignified, courageous and beautiful,
223
641000
2000
关注故事中高尚、勇敢和美好的东西
10:58
and it grows. Thank you.
224
643000
3000
那么这些品质也定会升华发扬开来。谢谢
11:01
(Applause)
225
646000
13000
(掌声)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ryan Lobo - PhotographerAs a photographer and filmmaker, Ryan Lobo uses his exquisite lens to capture humanity and nature at their most open and vulnerable moments.
Why you should listen
During a recent shoot on the streets and beaches of Chennai, Ryan Lobo turned his lens on men and women in relaxed, after-work poses. His starkly beautiful black-and-white photos, Lobo writes, reveal what it's like “to be young, employed and alive in Chennai today, regardless of one's language, economic class or social skills.” This follows the theme of Lobo's career: breaking down stereotypes while reframing the landscape.
Since 2001, Lobo has been taking haunting stills of everything from Yakuza tattoos and the illegal organ trade to the Indian middle class. He's worked as a field producer on many nature-oriented shows for National Geographic and founded Mad Monitor Productions, a production company based in Bangalore and Washington, D.C. There's no scientific, economic or sociopolitical boundary Lobo isn't willing to cross. His intense fieldwork continues to illuminate his traveling (you can read about his journeys and see photographs on his blog) and a forthcoming book project.
Ryan Lobo | Speaker | TED.com