20 Meters Deeper (02)

By Indra Widi

7 Dec 2012

"We still do not understand, why are you taking photos of us here?", Said one of the workers there. "Your camera will be damaged, because photographing our faces, it looks dirty and filthy like this" as they joked with me, "Should photographing landscapes, or the models are beautiful and naked, it must be great", continued they jokes. I had to laugh. Even with sweltering heat and the situation like this, they still can joke around. I was showing returned, the results of the photos on my camera. I can only say that they are tough workers, with all the risks, and I wanted to record it. I want to earn activities workers, with more closely and details. For me, their activity is an extremely important and must be preserved. This is history, and I am willing to share, giving the print results will be, to them. After a while I was dialogue, and shows the results of the photos on my camera, they returned to activities. And I also excused permission to continue running for a photograph in another the hole of mining.

I still should be keep the distance, not aggressive too close and disturb them at work, as when I photograph them. I had to let the reasonableness situation continue as it is, even though they know I'm around them. I carry two DSLR, and I realized that the camera may create a situation other than the reasonableness of those moments, and I have to be careful to get the best shot. The life of moment there is very hard, as hard as stones which they dug. Friendliness of workers in every hole digging, not the same as the friendliness of the workers in the other mine pit. In the minds of my head, it was unthinkable if their efforts to get around 2 million rupiah (+ / - $ USD 200) a month, with the risk were so high. I do not want to play around with a situation that is so heat and hard in there.

Through of these photos, I want share to them and present it to the world, that they are tough and persistent workers. I want the world to see, that they actually exist. Digging stones, for the purpose of the wall that are quite expensive if already on the grindstone and sold in the city. And once again, the story is just a beginning of stories that I got, and I will return there to continue photographing their stories.

Heartstone Breaker - the Series

December - 2012