Home > Culture > Mentor Showcase > The 2007 Best-of Series: Daniel Traub
The 2007 'Best Of' Series
We have now produced an annual Best Of issue of the ASMP Bulletin for the third year in a row. As before, we selected twenty projects for our issue — but this year, we had nearly 200 excellent submissions! It was a tough decision, and we thank all those who submitted their work. We hope you will enjoy reading about these projects.
Daniel Traub, New York, NY and Shanghai, China
Web site: www.danieltraub.net
Project: City’s Edge
Based in Bejing and Shanghai since 1999, Daniel Traub is drawn to the peripheries of China’s cities — the strange and nebulous region where urban and rural China meet. Using a large-format camera and color film, he traverses these areas to capture the interplay between traditional China and the new emerging culture. He views this record as emblematic of China as a whole: unresolved, abrasive, contradictory and changing at a history-altering pace.
All images in this article © Daniel Traub
ASMP: How long have you been in business?
Have been doing editorial work for about 4 years.
ASMP: How long have you been an ASMP member?
6 months.
ASMP: What are your photographic specialties?
Portraiture and landscape.
ASMP: Please describe the processes and techniques central to the making of this work.
The series was shot with 4x5 Toyo field camera with primarily 150 and 120 lenses. I’m shooting Kodak Portra 160 color negative film for the most part, scanning and outputting as digital c-prints.
ASMP: What do you consider your most valuable piece of equipment?
My 4x5 Toyo field camera and 120 lens, also the Mamiya 7.
ASMP: What is unique about your style/approach, or what sets you and your work apart from other photographers?
While this body of work overlaps with other recent work produced in China, no one, as far as I know, has focused specifically on the peripheries of the cities where urban and rural china intersect. Also, much of the work done in China, particularly by foreigners, aims for a kind objectivity; my work, I feel, is more personal and idiosyncratic. I have also lived here for many years, so my knowledge and perspective is different from those who come here to do a project and leave.
ASMP: How long have you been in China and what took you there? Why did you choose Shanghai as a base?
I moved to China in 1999 after grad school at the MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Dept. at the School of Visual Arts in New York. I had always wanted to live abroad and, as my mother is Chinese and I could speak the language, China seemed like a good choice.
Professionally, it also seemed like there would be more opportunity than in the States and, in retrospect, I think I was right. At the time, I was particularly interested in documentary film production, and China seemed like a good place to gain experience. Throughout most of my time in China, I’ve made a living shooting documentaries and reports for various European and American networks.
For my first 7 years, I lived in Beijing, which is the center for the foreign media. As I’m now focused primarily on personal projects, I no longer need to be in Beijing and so decided about a year ago to give Shanghai a try. So far it’s going well.
ASMP: What kind of logistical issues were involved in making this move and gaining credentials in China? Do you have advice for other photographers seeking to make a similar move?
Moving to China and getting some sort of work visa is not too difficult. There are various ways of going about it. Getting a journalist visa is more complicated and requires being connected with a news organization or agency. I was affiliated with German Television ZDF for many years and so was accredited through them.
ASMP: How would you describe the changes that are taking place in China now? To the environment? To the lifestyles? To the people? Can you describe an experience where these changes affected you personally?
Overall, what has kept me in China is the opportunity to witness the transformation taking place. It’s fascinating, disturbing and without precedent. The saddest aspect of China’s transformation, I would say, is the impact on the environment. Much of the natural landscape such as forests, rivers and lakes have all been deeply affected. In the cities, what was the most beautiful and evocative is largely being replaced with sterile new developments and apartment blocks.
ASMP: Do you speak Mandarin or any other Chinese or Asian dialects? How do you handle language issues? Model releases?
I speak Mandarin, which is the official dialect and more or less universally spoken.
ASMP: Do you find that people in different geographic locations within Asia respond differently to being photographed? Do you think their social strata, gender or age plays a part in their response to you?
Everywhere in Asia, I find that when you photograph people on fly without asking, they tend to be defensive and mistrustful. When you ask, however, people are generally open and willing to work with you. People tend to be particularly intrigued with the 4x5. I guess they figure you must be pretty serious to be lugging that thing around, so they tend to be willing and patient.
ASMP: What is your background and training in photography and film making?
I studied film theory and production at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, then did an MFA at School of Visual Art, MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Dept., where I studied with Joel Sternfeld and Raghubir Singh among others.
ASMP: How do you decide which format, still or moving, will work best for a subject?
I am primarily focused on still photography at the moment but am developing some ideas for documentary films as well. Ideas for films tend to be more character or story driven.
ASMP: Have you received many commercial assignments while being based in Asia? If so what kind? Have they been local or internationally based?
For the past few years, I have received commissions from American and European publications, including _New York Times Magazine, London Telegraph Magazine, Wallpaper_ and _Dazed and Confused_. I have also done some corporate work for McKinsey and Intel.
ASMP: Do you find it advantageous to be an American photographer in a foreign country?
The only time I’ve ever had problems as an American in China was after the US bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999. People were furious as they assumed we bombed it on purpose, but things returned to normal quickly. Aside from that, I don’t think it’s either been particularly helpful or a hindrance, except for that fact that being a foreigner makes getting access to certain things more difficult.
ASMP: How does your vision or photographic approach differ from your Asian compatriots?
Up until recently, there have been more or less 2 schools of photography in China. One is the classic, black-and-white, humanist, documentary tradition; the other is the conceptual art photography mode, with each artist finding some strategy to differentiate himself from the rest. In the last few years, this boundary has begun to break down with more Chinese photographers simply looking at and exploring China and its phenomena in fresh ways. And so, the point of view and style of foreign vs. Chinese photographers has become less pronounced.
ASMP: Have you had much contact with Chinese photographers or artists? Please describe your perceptions of the current creative scene.
I have been very close to some photographers, artists and filmmakers during my time in China and these have been important relationships for me. There are many individual artists whose work I feel is exceptional; other work, however, I find derivative and insincere. The work that I like best delves back and is informed by Chinese aesthetic traditions and moves beyond the usual ironic variations of Chairman Mao dressed in Prada.
ASMP: Have you had any problems with censorship of your work?
I’ve never had any problems with my personal photo projects in terms of censorship, because the subject matter is pretty vague. When I was doing more journalistic work, I was detained more or less once a year for stories that were politically sensitive. These included topics such as migrant workers, housing demolitions and corruption,
ASMP: How long do you plan to stay in Asia? Are there any other areas of the world that are drawing your interest?
I will likely keep one foot in Asia for some time to come, but I am spending more and more time in the US and would like to work on some projects there. I have also recently started a project exploring China’s involvement in Africa. I am interested to see if and how China is transforming Africa’s landscape.
