Capturing a face in the crowd
By Toby Strong: Director of Photography
I was slightly apprehensive when I was asked to shoot the Great Gatherings episode. I’m not a big fan of nameless crowds… but the stories just looked too good to miss and teaming up with director Tuppence again always yields great films.
pressed into a mass of humanity it's always hard to capture intimacy
Interestingly, pressed into a mass of humanity it's always hard to capture intimacy, so I chose a mix of an extreme wide lens to give the scale of the events, then a detailed lens with a small depth of field to isolate individuals within the throng to make it as personal as possible.
Since I shot on Human Planet, technology has moved on at a stunning rate and the advent of drones now allows me to gather the scale and reach of each location like never before.
On a personal note it felt special indeed to be allowed access to document individuals experiencing extraordinary challenges amid thousands, even millions of people. From Thaipusam in Kuala Lumpur to the Palio in Italy and the Qoyllur Rit’I festival in the Peruvian Andes, we were welcomed without reservation and looked after as part of their own, in situations of often extreme personal emotion and stress.
My initial fear at the start of the project of nameless throngs has been replaced by memories of brave individuals experiencing profound journeys as part of a greater community.
