Lobsang 67, Tensin 13
Bodhnath, Nepal
Bodhnath, Nepal
After working for 18 years as an orthodontist, Phil Borges "embarked on a lifelong journey to explore and photograph dramatic human landscapes around the world." Borges began his photographic work in Seattle, Washington with high-risk inner-city teenagers. His goal was to "understand the stories behind these individuals and capture them on film."
This same quest for understanding led Borges to create the award-winning exhibit and book, Tibetan Portrait: The Power of Compassion, about the endangered people of Tibet.
When traveling among people whose language he doesn't understand, Borges depends on the help of an interpreter/guide. Some situations may even require two interpreters. "Understanding is gradual and halting and tempered by the necessary approximations of the translated word. I have learned to value people skills over mere verbal fluency in selecting an interpreter. I break the ice with body language and then call over the interpreter to explain what I want to do. Then my biggest problem is to persuade people to move out of the picture area, so I can concentrate on the subject."
Borges tends to work very close to his portrait subjects, using a small lens aperture to ensure that every detail of the subject is sharp. Yet the background is thrown out of focus, because it is so much farther away. Borges employs this sharp/unsharp effect, and strong studio lighting, to make the person the center of attention. "I was inspired by Irving Penn's classic portraits of native people, taken in front of seamless backgrounds. Although I usually include the background, it's always secondary. These pictures are portraits of individuals, not representatives of some exotic group."
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