A Sense of Place

Abstract

The challenge of visually documenting specific issues in a very different milieu is the ideal assignment for the photojournalist interested in capturing a sense of place. It was the interdisciplinary nature of the project, the objective, and the location that motivated me to respond to a university-wide call for participants. Working with a team doing fieldwork in Chiang Mai was an extraordinary opportunity to document an existing situation, the city, being quantitatively and qualitatively studied for its sustainable prospects. This was also a unique opportunity for me to work day-to-day with individuals who moved from concrete particulars to the conceptual and who are qualified to make specific recommendations based upon their fieldwork findings. The images compliment the research as a document, a kind of qualitative evidence, assisting the researcher in making conclusions that may lead to recommendations which directly affect a community. This is unlike conventional deadline driven photojournalism, that at best impartially records a situation with images that are rarely considered as evidence for change by policy makers.