Contact

Pyongyang, D.P.R. Korea

Puhung metro station, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  Exhausted commuters wait for their train home after a six-day work week. It’s Saturday evening, but the shortage of electricity means the station lights are dimmed. Everyone’s face is flat and emotionless, some close their eyes while others stare blankly at the floor. The only verve in this listless crowd is the propaganda broadcasting from speakers and painted on the station walls. An old Eastern German-made train speed shrilly into the station. Its chipped paint and outdated interior betray its age. I navigate the crowd and switch to my smallest camera to attract less attention, raising sensitivity and enlarging my aperture to compensate for the dimmed lights. I focus on a middle-aged woman standing next to a train door. Despite my attempt to remain unobtrusively, she eyes me curiously, until a State Security officer approaches. Becoming deathly pale, she quickly turns away in fear of the prohibition against any form of foreign contact.

Interrogation

Beijing, P.R.China

Tiananmen Square, Beijing, People’s Republic of China.  Facial recognition cameras flash and beep at a checkpoint, intrudes the timeless harmony of ancient imperial architectures, as dozens of armed police and state security search for potential hazards, filter out protesters.  Ugly aisle fencing separates visitors from Forbidden City and People’s Hall, despite propaganda banner on the Tiananmen gate reads, long live the people’s republic and people’s unity.  A middle-aged man is stopped for a thorough pat down, his bag repeatedly opened, re-opened, checked and rechecked.  Through my telephoto lens, he seems to be arguing with the state security agents.  I quickly set my aperture to F6.3 to enlarge depth of field and freeze this moment of conflict. In the distance, below a pagoda’s elegant roof, Mao’s portrait and his smile is suspended in Beijing’s industrial haze.

Journey

Irkutsk, Russian

At Angara River Bank, Irkutsk, Russian Federation, dozens of seagulls on a rusty riverside fence are enjoying an early summer. They play in beautiful, patterned circles, fiercely whirring their wings, and squawking and quarreling at the top of their voices to express total freedom of choice and expression in their territory. I cannot fail to enjoy the sweet songs they sing in unison as they dance in the sky to show the delight of freedom. Stretching their wings wide open, they prepare for a long journey over Lake Baikal. My telephoto lens focuses on a lone gull's eye, capturing determination and preparedness for a long task ahead. The focused eye displays a serious soul ready to take up a highly uncertain and challenging task. I switch to continuous burst mode, shutter speed at 1/4000th of a second as they flap their wings in unison. I capture their ascension as I reflect on Russia's regime change. As I observe the flock leaving their beautiful territory along the river bank, heading to where they may not know what awaits them, I ponder on Russians transitioning into a democracy they have never experienced. The determination in the eyes of the seagulls reminds me of the Soviet people's great commitment to escaping authoritarian tyranny and economic stagnation. As the seagulls disappear into the lake, I observe rough and dangerous currently coming towards their way as if opposing their sail. I muse on many roadblocks on the journey of Russia's democratization. Yet, as the winds are continuously energizing, the seagulls keep flying. I believe the Russians are also strongly opposed to totalitarianism that seemed to remain forever firm.