A fascination for capturing “people of various cultures dwelling their day to day lives” is what evokes the function of University of Hawaiʻi videographer Jeff DePonte. A get in touch with for submissions from Global Lens Journal for its “Culture” difficulty led him to submit his road photography taken throughout a 2014 journey to Phnom Penh, the funds town of Cambodia. DePonte’s function together with 9 other intercontinental photographers were being selected and featured in the Oct 2022 concern of the fantastic arts images publication.
“Seeing my identify up there following to folks I have admired is seriously what is so humbling,” explained DePonte, who has been with the UH Business office of Communications considering the fact that 2015.
With scenes from Japan, India, Kenya and Cambodia, the 171-website page glossy spotlights a collection of special jobs focusing on historic cultures and civilizations from all around the world. DePonte’s 14-website page picture spread titled “Streets Devoid of Borders,” functions 20 black and white square photos taken throughout his nine-working day trip and 3rd check out to Phnom Penh. DePonte was there as aspect of a documentary movie undertaking featuring the Potential Light Orphanage and its founder Nuon Phaly.
“I adopted a established of constraints that would determine the perform: just one digital camera, a single lens, black and white, sq.,” he wrote in his artist assertion. “Working as a photojournalist in Phnom Penh gave me a new frame of reference. Social humanist pictures is the very same, irrespective of whether cinema verité or stills.”
Observing the remarkable in the standard
With his trusty Fuji X100 digicam in hand, DePonte completely immersed himself in the city, having pictures of the folks everywhere you go he went.
“The act of photographing on the avenue assists me see the amazing in the regular, will help me to much more entirely practical experience a location,” he stated.
The Phnom Penh visuals involve barefoot children on the streets and at the industry, a motorbike delivery, jewelers at function, an elder female smiling for the digicam, Buddhist monks collected at the Royal Palace and women operating in the rice fields—DePonte’s favorite in the selection.
“You can see a vary of thoughts in their faces (laughing, confusion, etc.),” he mirrored. “As a avenue photographer, I had to emote one thing that says ‘I respect you’ devoid of being off-putting.”
DePonte reported, “Experiencing a position as inadequate as Cambodia will make you concern the items you take for granted back property in your own ease and comfort zone. I obtain it invigorating to observe the cultures of overseas lands. Pictures can enable to make us issue what is normal and regimen, even though depicting ingenuity and resourcefulness that is universal.”
More about DePonte
DePonte has been a videographer with the UH Place of work of Communications for 7 a long time, and has captured several tales for UH Information about the wonderful men and women and applications across the UH Technique.
“I really like situations where by we go and are far more or a lot less part of the motion, not just reporting but becoming included in the tale,” he said.
DePonte has more than 40 years of experience in pictures and video output below his belt. He’s worked on several freelance images and film jobs, and in various parts at KGMB–Tv, from neighborhood relations to writer/producer/director, for 30 years. He was also co-founder and president of Pipeline Electronic, Hawaii, a computer software corporation specializing in the regulate of videotape decks that had partnerships with a number of significant identify tech firms.
He credits his mentor and Kamehameha Schools’ longtime picture archivist the late Luryier “Pop” Diamond for “greatly influencing” his photography, when he was a high faculty scholar and then as a colleague. DePonte took above his mentor’s situation at Kamehameha Faculties on his retirement in the 80s and was in a position to do the job along with him for a several years.
For a lot more on DePonte, go to his web page.
