For nearly two decades, the work of Tuscumbia, Alabama-based photographer Robert Rausch has found its place within the pages of The New York Times. His latest project for the NYT was part of its Travel Destination: 52 Places to Go This Year series, which featured a poignant travel story on the soon-to-be-opened Freedom Memorial Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Alabama. The park was commissioned by The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), the non-profit responsible for Montgomery’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Overlooking the Alabama River, the 17-acre sculpture park stands as a tribute to the resilience and courage of the 10 million Black people who were enslaved in America. Robert’s series immerses the viewer in an interactive experience of the memorial and the powerful testimony there within.
Having previously worked with the client, Robert was familiar with the editorial team and the particulars of the NYT brand.
Certain editors call me for certain stories. The editor who reached out for this story used to work in the Garden section, but now works in the Travel section. She normally calls me when she has a hard subject to capture. The first story I shot for her was a Martin birdhouse story that was small, but they liked the images so much that they moved it to a cover story.
In preplanning, Robert learned that photographing the Freedom Memorial Sculpture Park came with a preexisting logistical challenge.
At the time of the shoot, the park itself wouldn’t be finished for another 8 months. I had to try to capture the essence of the memorial without showing all the construction, and come up with something that would work for the story. The NYT doesn’t always know the state of construction of some of the things they want images of. So I have to set up the shoot, find the contacts and way to access the locations, and then relay that information back to the NYT.
The goal of the project was to capture the emotional impact of visiting the park. In addition to photographing the memorial, Robert had to allow himself to be one of the park’s visitors.
In its completed form, visitors will have to get to the garden by boat, which is how the slaves arrived in Montgomery. You can tour slave cabins, artifacts, sculptures like whipping posts, and steel holding cages, and read the names of all the slave families that have passed through Montgomery. I love the storytelling part of photography, so stories about feelings and things that may be a bit harder to tell in a photograph fit my style.
The photoshoot took place over two days, which allowed Robert the chance to experience the park at different times of day and strategize his use of natural light.
I like to stay for at least two or three sunrises or sunsets because you can use that light to create stronger images. I shoot the images on the shot-list, but I also look for any interesting stories that I see when I’m on location. I try to leave no stone unturned. I communicate any important issues that come up, but I try not to bombard the client with unnecessary questions. They are super busy and just need the job done. So for me, it’s about understanding and managing the expectations of the client.
Robert was joined on location in Montgomery by Tania Cordes, Communications Manager at the Equal Justice Initiative. The two worked closely on determining the essential aspects of the park to photograph.
In addition to the whole experience being heavy with a lot of emotional weight, I had a shadow from the EJI that wanted to make sure I shot things that represented their vision. The Times controls its brand very closely. I wanted to honor and show the EJI vision as well as what the NYT wanted, while at the same time showing my experience with the gardens and my take on the experience. It’s a balancing act of getting what the client wants and also something that is satisfying for me as an artist and photographer.
Over the two days, Robert captured different angles, lighting options, and interpretations of his subject matter to meet his client’s needs.
I pretty much shoot or am looking at things to shoot from sun up till sundown. Even at night, I am still looking to see what is going on, or if there are any other parts of the story to be told. Sometimes I go back to the same spot four or five times until the light fits the scenario. It’s a lot of covering the same territory and going over the shot-list again and again.
For the more challenging stories, sometimes I approach a subject matter from several different points of view, so the client has options. I think it’s interesting which of the final images they choose to publish.
For Robert, every project is a lesson, a chance to grow both as an artist and a human being. His visit to Freedom Memorial Sculpture Park left an indelible mark, like it no doubt will for so many.
I love people and the connection we all have to each other, to the world around us, and the history we all share. Whether good or bad, we must learn and grow from our experiences, and aim not to repeat the horrific things from our past. We have to move into the future with hope and understanding for everyone. I hope to leave each job with more compassion and an understanding of something I didn’t have before I took the job.
See more of Robert’s work on his website.
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