Cristiano Burmester said he has always felt a visual connection to the world.<\/p>\n
Burmester is from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a career that spans different forms of media including film, magazines and documentaries. He said he\u2019s touched by stories on communities connected to nature.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday evening, Burmester, a scholar and photographer, guided over 40 students, faculty and other community members on a journey of visual storytelling through the history of photography and his own practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event took place in the Lehigh University Art Gallery (LUAG), in collaboration with the International Relations and Global Studies Departments.<\/p>\n
When Burmester presses the shutter on a camera \u2014 whether it\u2019s film, digital or 35mm, he said he expects a connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI envision the image because of the emotional connection that I have to the situation I\u2019m observing,\u201d Burmester said.<\/p>\n
To connect with his subjects, Burmester said he builds time into his projects.<\/p>\n
He said he makes sure the subjects of his images feel recognized. He said if they don\u2019t, he works to adjust, understand why and make them comfortable with his work.<\/p>\n
He said photography is a tool that forces us to look at reality and context.<\/p>\n
LUAG\u2019s curator of education, Stacie Brennan, \u201803, said her role is to help \u201cActivate the (gallery\u2019s) collection\u201d through programs, classes and experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhotography is one form of art that is a great way to bring attention to the human condition,\u201d Brennan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said Burmester\u2019s work was an example of how different types of artmaking can bring attention to issues surrounding social change.<\/p>\n
One of\u00a0 Burmester\u2019s projects, Parana\u00edta, highlights a fishing community in central Brazil through aerial videography and confessional style interviews.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said he intends for his work to expand to broader topics, prompting questions about ethics of fishermen, indigenous land use in the Amazon and culture of the people of Parana\u00edta.<\/p>\n