Every picture tells a story
As a photographer much of my work for museums and
galleries concerns Britain's cosmopolitan communities, particularly those with roots in eastern Europe and the Asian sub-continent. But I was not expecting the kind of furore my images caused when the British Council commissioned me as one of eight photographers to explore an aspect of life for Muslims in Britain.
The Common Ground exhibition toured Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh in 2003 and 2004. Press coverage was extensive and the positive reaction of Malaysia's the New Straits Times was typical: 'Common Ground is a balanced, truthful portrait that lifts the jaundiced veil.
It's no public relations exercise, [but] shows the human face of Islam as opposed to the militant stereotype.' The New Age newspaper in Bangladesh said that it 'portrays the many facets of a people that have blended their own culture with that of the locals, while holding on to their own identities.
Fortunately the expressions are made without the overt propagandist modifications normally instilled on the subject by the western media.'
The latter proved perceptive words when two national newspapers in Britain ran full-page articles in February - two years after the show's launch. The Sunday Telegraph kicked it off under the headline: 'Racist, impoverished, violent… how the world sees us thanks to the grim images of life promoted overseas by the British Council.'
As proof, it ran two of the 140 photographs in the show, one of mine that shows children playing under advertising hoarding covered in racist-graffiti, and another of a vandalised phone box. The following day the Daily Mail condemned the exhibition for its 'distorted and dangerous vision', and the British Council for its 'politically-correct thinking'.
An impressive array of critical quotes accompanied the pictures, gathered from senior Tory MPs, a Labour peer and spokesmen for the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). None of them had seen the exhibition.
The MAB and the MCB soon expressed regret at being quoted, saying they had simply reacted to what they were told. The secretary-general of the MCB, having seen the exhibition, praised its 'accurate, informative and very sympathetic portrayal about what it means to be a British Muslim today'.
These changes came too late for some. In the Middle East, where the Common Ground exhibition tours next, the story was repeated virtually word for word. The Telegraph's and Mail's dishonest reporting has done exactly what they had condemned: tarnished Britain's reputation overseas.
Striking a balance and telling a story from a variety of perspectives is important; the real world is rarely monolithic. Everything you do as a photographer is subjective, but working with honesty and empathy engenders trust in the viewer. Propaganda doesn't.
When taking photographs I always strive for viewpoints or moments that make visually interesting pictures. These often convey a certain mood or opinion, either my own or my subjects. Making decisions when taking pictures is largely an intuitive process.
It is the editing stage that enables more considered reflection. Which pictures work visually? How will the intended audience interpret them? Do they tell the story? What are the gaps and how do I fill them?
Exhibitions and publications dealing with Britain's evolution as a cosmopolitan society need to be honest and open.
As well as celebrating diversity, they must also deal with the difficult issues. Fear of sensationalist headlines or of causing offence among the communities themselves, can lead to a superficial saris-and-samosas approach where potentially emotive issues are glossed over or ignored.
To make work of any significance I have to engage and empathise with communities, to understand and strike a balance between different points of view. Museums and galleries must do this too, to provide a forum for debate and education.
They also need to be prepared to robustly defend this approach, as the British Council has done. What should not happen is that the editorial policy of our cultural institutions is dictated by fear of the news agendas of the press.
Tim Smith is a freelance photographer based in Yorkshire
As a photographer much of my work for museums and
galleries concerns Britain's cosmopolitan communities, particularly those with roots in eastern Europe and the Asian sub-continent. But I was not expecting the kind of furore my images caused when the British Council commissioned me as one of eight photographers to explore an aspect of life for Muslims in Britain.
The Common Ground exhibition toured Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh in 2003 and 2004. Press coverage was extensive and the positive reaction of Malaysia's the New Straits Times was typical: 'Common Ground is a balanced, truthful portrait that lifts the jaundiced veil.
It's no public relations exercise, [but] shows the human face of Islam as opposed to the militant stereotype.' The New Age newspaper in Bangladesh said that it 'portrays the many facets of a people that have blended their own culture with that of the locals, while holding on to their own identities.
Fortunately the expressions are made without the overt propagandist modifications normally instilled on the subject by the western media.'
The latter proved perceptive words when two national newspapers in Britain ran full-page articles in February - two years after the show's launch. The Sunday Telegraph kicked it off under the headline: 'Racist, impoverished, violent… how the world sees us thanks to the grim images of life promoted overseas by the British Council.'
As proof, it ran two of the 140 photographs in the show, one of mine that shows children playing under advertising hoarding covered in racist-graffiti, and another of a vandalised phone box. The following day the Daily Mail condemned the exhibition for its 'distorted and dangerous vision', and the British Council for its 'politically-correct thinking'.
An impressive array of critical quotes accompanied the pictures, gathered from senior Tory MPs, a Labour peer and spokesmen for the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). None of them had seen the exhibition.
The MAB and the MCB soon expressed regret at being quoted, saying they had simply reacted to what they were told. The secretary-general of the MCB, having seen the exhibition, praised its 'accurate, informative and very sympathetic portrayal about what it means to be a British Muslim today'.
These changes came too late for some. In the Middle East, where the Common Ground exhibition tours next, the story was repeated virtually word for word. The Telegraph's and Mail's dishonest reporting has done exactly what they had condemned: tarnished Britain's reputation overseas.
Striking a balance and telling a story from a variety of perspectives is important; the real world is rarely monolithic. Everything you do as a photographer is subjective, but working with honesty and empathy engenders trust in the viewer. Propaganda doesn't.
When taking photographs I always strive for viewpoints or moments that make visually interesting pictures. These often convey a certain mood or opinion, either my own or my subjects. Making decisions when taking pictures is largely an intuitive process.
It is the editing stage that enables more considered reflection. Which pictures work visually? How will the intended audience interpret them? Do they tell the story? What are the gaps and how do I fill them?
Exhibitions and publications dealing with Britain's evolution as a cosmopolitan society need to be honest and open.
As well as celebrating diversity, they must also deal with the difficult issues. Fear of sensationalist headlines or of causing offence among the communities themselves, can lead to a superficial saris-and-samosas approach where potentially emotive issues are glossed over or ignored.
To make work of any significance I have to engage and empathise with communities, to understand and strike a balance between different points of view. Museums and galleries must do this too, to provide a forum for debate and education.
They also need to be prepared to robustly defend this approach, as the British Council has done. What should not happen is that the editorial policy of our cultural institutions is dictated by fear of the news agendas of the press.
Tim Smith is a freelance photographer based in Yorkshire
