When the camera illuminates stories: the work of Adnan Šačiragić

In preparing his portfolio for Dalhousie University's Environmental Design Studies program, Adnan Šačiragić (pronounced Sha-chi-ra-gich) realized that the majority of his work was photographic. That moment taught him that visual arts, design, and architecture are sibling diciplines—and in a surprise shift in focus, he applied instead to the Photography and Digital Imaging program at Holland College.

Since then, Adnan has blended his environmental and visual arts background in a documentary project that's proven a milestone—The Descendants of Lukomir, about the inhabitants of a remote village located in the Bjelašnica Mountains, Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Kate Inglis, friend of APS, interviews Adnan to hear more about how this tiny, remote village has not only changed his perspective, but affirmed his career path as an editorial and documentary photographer.

What compelled you about the village of Lukomir and its people?

Following the war, the majority of the villagers had left their homes and moved to the suburbs of Sarajevo, only to return in the summer months with their livestock, hoping that someday, socio-economic conditions would improve enough to allow them to return permanently. But as I explored the area for the first time in the summer of 2011, the villagers told me that no one planned on staying during the winter—marking the first time that no one has lived there year-round. With the hope of prosperity coming from larger cities, the existence of Lukomir is in question.

Are you Bosnian? If so, how did you end up in Canada, and do you go back often?

In the summer of 2008, I had the pleasure of working with Jonathan Ferrier and Lana Šačiragić on “An Ethnobotanical Trail Guide to the Medicinal Plants of Lukomir, Bosnia and Herzegovina”. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded the research project. Our field study took place in the highland community of Lukomir, in the Olympic Mountains of Bjelašnica. The aim of the project was to raise awareness of the immense botanical diversity of the area, to preserve the local knowledge and customs, and to share that knowledge with others. As research assistant, my duties included collecting and categorizing plant samples, communicating with village elders and photographing the diverse landscapes, botanicals, and people of Lukomir.

The inspiring landscapes and village sparked my interest in environmental and sustainable living issues. Most notably, this experience inspired me to pursue photography beyond a hobby. This was my first trip to Lukomir. Since then, it has held a special place in my heart.

I was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1987. In 1992, at the start of the war, my family and I fled Sarajevo. In 1993, with the assistance of the Spring Park United Church, we were fortunate to be able to move to Charlottetown, PE. Since 1996, my family and I have returned regularly to visit family and friends.

Will you ever return to Lukomir to document its fate and the fate of its people?

Lukomir will be a long-term project. I hope to return this September and continue my environmental portrait series.

Tell us a little anecdote from your experiences among the people of Lukomir—what was the most memorable moment?

Every day, the villagers are faced with adversity. When setting out into the surrounding environment with their livestock, they face the difficult mountain terrain and climate. As well, the current socio-economic challenges (such as a lack of social assistance and representation in local government) are a huge deterrent to the prosperity of Lukomir and its villagers. However, their resolve and determination despite these challenges has taught me that anything can be overcome with the right attitude. Progress is slow, but it does take place.

Can the right photography help people, or change outcomes?

I truly believe that (documentary) photography, if done with respect towards the subject matter and the ideals of the project are undistorted, has the ability to change outcomes for the better. Photography may not be able to directly influence policy makers; however, it can become an important tool in raising awareness and informing the public.

Find more of Adnan's inspired work here.

Adnan's portrait credit: Ryan Wilson

Where The Heart Is

Ah, home.

Is there any place like it?

I went back home for a visit the other day to my native province, Newfoundland and Labrador. Catching up with family, seeing what's new in the community, going for drives to my childhood haunts. For me, there is no better way to recharge the soul than a visit to the place you grew up.

I like to try and catch the feel of home in my photos. Sometimes I succeed, and I can remember the mood, the smells, everything. Other times my love for my home is too big to fit in the frame. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail, but I never get tired trying to catch its beauty.

How to you like to remember the place you grew up? Who are some of your favorite photographers from your hometown?

Animal Appreciation

Anybody that knows me, knows I am a big  lover of animals.  Land, sea, wildlife- you name it. So when I come across stories that have to do with people going out of their way to help an animal out, it touches my heart. I want to share this video with you, about a humpback whale being freed from a net. How such a huge animal can show appreciation.

Watch, enjoy, and leave you favorite animal stories in the comments.

Forensic Photography

Mug Shot

When the television show CSI first started I was only 12. I can't remember when I started watching it, it must have been a couple years later. Though my memory is the easily confused type when it comes to dates. What I know for sure, is that I was enthralled by the show. I wanted to be a CSI! But it didn't take long for me to figure out that the job didn't actually exist. Atleast not the way they portrayed it on the TV. My high school self was devastated! And to be honest, it still makes me a little sad.

In the real world, being a "CSI" does not comprise of such a wide variety of skills into one job title. Most often each person specializes in certain aspects of it. There exists many different fields and specialties, included in them forensic photography. Forensic photography itself can be broken down into different fields, the two major ones being photo's of the criminals (better known to us as mug shots) and photos of the actual scene of the crime. 

It all started as a way to document criminals, with the first known uses being in Belgium and Denmark in 1843-44 and 1851 respectively. It wasn't until the 1870's that the trend started popping up elsewhere. It took an additional 20 years before someone sought to standerdize the system. In 1890 a french photographer by the name of Alphonse Bertillon released a book titled "La Photographie Judiciaire" (Judicial Photography) with proposed rules for scientifically photographing criminals. His standards are still what we see used today, and he is credited with the invention of the mug shot.

Bertillon is also said to be the first photographer to methodically document a crime scene. Unlike mug shots, this documentation allowed for a little more leeway with style and interpretation. This type of photography also involved the public more, as photo's of the scene started appearing in newpapers. People started connecting similarities in the photo's to their own lives, and the effects of crime became a lot more real. 

photo by Weegee

Although Bertillon is credited as being the first, a man named Arthur Fellig is probably the most famous of crime scene photographers. He went by the nickname Weegee, which he reportedly got because he seemed to show up at crime scenes before the police and other reporters. Although Fellig viewed his photographs as documentation, a lot of people called them Art.

Over the years new photographic technology has greatly advanced forensic efforts. Some may argue that we have become desensitized to violence and death by television and movies, but the fact remains that seeing a real crime displayed in front of us is still the most powerful way of expressing the reality of the situation. It is a very real tool for increasing awareness and obtaining convictions- perhaps someday it may help us negate the field all together. (Might as well dream big.)

Let’s talk photography

I grew up in an English speaking home, I wasn’t taught any other languages but I must say I regretfully wish I dove into my french class more. Sure I went and completed my education with a BFA from the Ontario College of Art and Design University, but unlike most of my friends who studied English at other universities, I was learning a whole other language at OCADU. I believe that through my four year degree I learned the language of art and more specifically photography. My eduction taught me to use my camera to communicate my experiences, emotions, my thoughts, and ideas to the world instead of words. I was now part of a visual culture, visual communications, I was asked to speak through my art, I had to learn a form of language if you will. If I accomplished that my peers and the art community would respond by picking up my visual cues. To create it successfully I had to examine body language, symbols, emotion, how one might read the story, or my message in a photograph. I had to learn to take my concept and communicate it in a refined fashion and not blatantly obvious- something with depth and apply some interest.

It took until my thesis year, ( four years) to really refine my skills as an artist and a professional photographer. So I was able to express my ideas through my art that allowed other photographers to understand what I was trying to convey. I challenged myself with tough subject matter that was emotional and asked to be honest and truthful in what I would try to depict in my thesis series of photos. When I did this, I realized this I really started to see more deeply into the pictures of my peers and started to see that we communicated to each other through the thoughts and ideas that we all set out to communicate in our photos. We,over four years collectively learned the language of art!

We looked at the location of the photos, the body language, the mood and subject to read the story and message. I began to read the pictures by the designed flow that each of my friends in class set  in their photos to allow me to follow the story within the photo and sometime in a series of photos.

Just like many of you, I grew up adoring images that spoke to me, who had a voice that called for me to take a closer look. Think right now of an image that you love, doesn’t it speak to you? It draws you in either with it’s story, it’s moment in time, it’s political position. It has a voice, it draws you in, it asks for you to engage in discourse- almost like that of a conversation.