Rita - Documentary Photography

Overview

A Visual Anthropology Project – Documentary Photography

In the final semester of my college program in Audiovisual and Multimedia, during the Visual Anthropology course, we were challenged to create a photographic record of reality, limited to a total of 21 images.

Project Description

Initially, my intention was to capture a fisherman at work. However, upon arriving at the beach, I encountered an intriguing man selling fish. I approached him and asked to document his trade.

He told me everyone knew him as Rita, though his birth name was António. Rita was a nickname given by friends, inspired by an old girlfriend. I learned that he wasn’t a fisherman; at 77 years old, he was retired but sold fish he received in exchange for helping fishermen pull their boats ashore.

Throughout our time together, Mr. Rita controlled the narrative while I, merely a photographer and listener, tried to keep up with his lively and animated storytelling. I occasionally chimed in with comments, laughter, or questions.

This experience of documenting a real encounter with a genuine character taught me practically what we had learned theoretically throughout the semester. It reinforced the idea that in documentary work, how we represent others is crucial. However, during the actual documentation, this becomes difficult to control because “the other” is aware of their place in the world and will always contribute, consciously or not. During the editing process, we have the power to decide on this representation. We can make empathetic choices that consider the perspective of “the other.”

In my encounter with Mr. Rita, it was clear that while I chose to document him, he also chose to share his story with me.