TITLE: At Work

When people are in their own workplaces, they are most at ease with themselves. They do not need “to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.” I like to stand and watch a little before shooting to convey my appreciation for the worker’s skill and engagement. A man’s work is his life and should be respected. It also gives me a chance to have eye contact and that makes all the difference. Even when the subject is taking a break, there is a connection to work. In a world where most work now happens in office buildings and factories away from public view, it becomes more and more important to me to see work being done, to see concrete results, and to see the engagement of workers.

There is a Taoist phrase: wei wu wei, which has been translated a number of ways but the one I like best is “doing, not doing.” When one has become a complete master of an action, he no longer has to think about how to perform the act but has become the act himself. I try to photograph this.

My subjects are almost always cooperative. They take my interest as a compliment and like to talk about their work even if it is only through gestures. Other people who share the workspace or the adjacent one always like to see the digital thumbnail. They know when you’ve caught the person and the action correctly; they are the very best critics. It is surprising how many workers thank me for taking the picture.

AUTHOR: Kip Harris (Canada)

Retired architect now living in Nova Scotia.