Eric Setiawan’s Journal

John Vink from Magnum Photos on The Khmer Chronicles / Issue Nr 6: You’ve got 5 minutes:

So what can one do to stand out? What difference can you make (in 5 minutes and with a 35mm only)? Well not much really… Especially because you’re in a pool, so you HAVE to deliver or you will not be selected next time. The photographers outside are waiting to pick their choice in what’s going to be available on the ECCC computer and they’d be more than willing to take your place.

Basically I start by making sure there is at least ONE usable picture. No risk taking… Autofocus, straight flash, no fancy composition, the accused smack in the middle of the frame, 5 or six shots. That’s it… Switch to the M8, ambient light (the last firmware update finally delivers acceptable white balance results), 320 ISO (too much noise higher up), 2.8, 30th/ second and MOVE, change position, go to the back of the pack, slide to the right, push back into the pack again, move back and go to the left where the judges are, go straight back towards the accused, frame, focus and… finished. It’s over. The 5 minutes are gone. We’re politely asked by the security guards to leave the room… Hoping we didn’t screw up and that there is something a little different to show. There are about 60 frames on my cards, 40 of which are really useless.