91福利

When asked where he sees his art evolving, , a documentary media student, disputes the premise: 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny, I still 诲辞苍鈥檛 see myself as an 鈥榓rtist,鈥� to be honest,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a blurry line between documentary, art, and photography. I 诲辞苍鈥檛 really have a label for myself, to be honest. I 诲辞苍鈥檛 really feel like an artist, though.鈥�

How would he define himself? 鈥淚 诲辞苍鈥檛 know鈥� human with a camera?鈥� he offers. 鈥淚 see the camera as an avenue to explore the things that I鈥檓 concerned or intrigued by.鈥�

Through his art, photography, documentary media, or whatever you want to call it, Ripley has sensitively documented people and places overlooked by the mainstream鈥攊n Cuba, Nepal, Cambodia, and the United States. Ripley is currently based in Toronto, where he says of the documentary media MFA program, 鈥淚鈥檝e got great professors, and I鈥檝e got a fantastic cohort, and it鈥檚 very inspiring. A program is what you make it, and it鈥檚 just got me completely reconsidering how I make pictures. It鈥檚 got me thinking more critically about my creative decisions, and being more deliberate about those decisions.鈥�

This year, he is a recipient of Nikon鈥檚 , which awards $10,000 USD in academic funding to 10 visual storytellers form across North America. 鈥淚鈥檒l get to jump into my practice after school鈥擨 won鈥檛 have to be 100 percent focused on taking care of loans,鈥� he says.

We asked Ripley to tell us about some of his favourite photos, and the stories behind them鈥�

Look, Bijuwar, Nepal

The first two images are part of a larger project on vision in southeast Asia, and document a queue at an eye clinic in Nepal of people with preventable blindness. 鈥淓ssentially, they are people with cataracts or severe visual impairments. They just really need a pair of glasses, but so severe that they can鈥檛 function normally,鈥� says Ripley. 鈥淭he operating room was down on the first level, and I was up in the processing and administrative area a level up, where there was a balcony. I had just been up there talking to a couple of nurses that were working at the clinic, and I looked down and saw the queue. She heard us talking, and looked up.鈥�

Queue, Bijuwar, Nepal

鈥淚 always try to interact with anyone I take a picture of,鈥� says Ripley. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e trying to get a candid image, you can obviously snap something without anybody knowing you鈥檙e there. But I鈥檇 rather meet people and engage, and then, they鈥檙e comfortable with your presence.鈥�

Drop, Kampot, Cambodia

A young boy in Cambodia is treated for a cataract in his eye鈥攁ttained after a stick he threw at a tree rebounded, hitting him in the face. 鈥淗e had just been let out,鈥� says Ripley. 鈥淗e had to stay overnight with the bandage on, and then in the morning we were all there pretty early for the patients being released. He came out and met his parents, and then the doctor was demonstrating to his parents how to apply the medicine to his eye. I was standing right next to him and grabbed that shot.鈥�

Length, Santiago Atitl谩n, Guatemala

The next two images came when Ripley met a family of traditional Mayan wool-weavers while travelling through Guatemala. 鈥淗is name is Diego, and he鈥檚 holding a stretch of fabric made on a loom and explaining the symbolism. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of five or six children in the family, and he鈥檚 a very vibrant, outgoing individual. His whole family is involved in this workshop.鈥�

Backstrap, Santiago Atitl谩n, Guatemala

Juanita, age 13, is Diego鈥檚 younger sister, though her body language carries the weight of professionalism and experience. 鈥淪he is working on a backstrap, which is very old鈥攊t鈥檚 pre-Colombian weaving technology. It鈥檚 still used for many of the articles of clothing, especially the top. It鈥檚 very laborious and difficult, takes a lot of training, and produces very strong, sturdy fabrics.鈥�

Sanctuary, USA

For his current project, Ripley is documenting the lives of undocumented migrants in the United States who seek sanctuary in churches鈥攊ncluding this man in North Carolina. 鈥淚CE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has an internal policy鈥攊t鈥檚 not a law鈥攖hat they 诲辞苍鈥檛 execute deportation orders or carry out raids at what they call 鈥榮ensitive locations,鈥� which include houses of worship, schools, this type of thing.鈥�

In such a difficult situation, how does Ripley cultivate trust with his subjects? By being more concerned with the relationships than the images. 鈥淚 come and say what I鈥檓 doing. I say, 鈥業鈥檓 not with the media, I 诲辞苍鈥檛 have any power over this situation whatsoever. Here鈥檚 what I鈥檓 doing, and if you鈥檙e interested in participating, that would be great.鈥�

鈥淭he first few times I go there, I 诲辞苍鈥檛 even bring my camera. I just go and speak with people, hear their stories, have meals with them, spend the night at the churches, and eventually take the camera out. I just try to constantly be engaged鈥擨 try to be a human with a camera, not a photographer.鈥�