Originally from rural Alaska, Cari Payer grew up seeing the outside world through the lenses of National Geographic photographers. The images inspired her to see what the world had to offer beyond her small community. This passion started her journey around the globe to photograph people, landscapes and cultural landmarks in America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Cari first became involved with Photographers Without Borders by attending Storytelling School in Mongolia. She later spent time in Nepal in 2018 capturing what she calls “small vignettes of life." During the spring 2020 lockdown in Tokyo, Cari created a photo series featuring her daughter titled “COVID-19 Spring Collection 2020.”
Cari was in conversation with Photographers Without Borders (PWB) Founder Danielle Da Silva as part of PWB’s ongoing “Storytelling for Change” webinar series. Below are edited excerpts from the discussion which touched on teaching photography workshops, empowering stay at home spouses and small home business owners to use photography more effectively in their lives, finding opportunities during COVID-19, ethical travel photography, how to capture unique moments and the importance of sharing knowledge in the world of photography.
Danielle Da Silva: You grew up in rural Alaska and have lived and travelled in a lot of different places around the world. How does your personal experience come into your storytelling and love of teaching?
Cari Payer: I love being an educator. I gravitate towards that even more than being a full-time photographer because I like helping people realize their ideas. Just because we go to tourist destinations doesn't mean tourist destinations are what we need to photograph. It's important to get a little deeper and learn about the culture and interact with people. We're not just there to take pictures of people who don't look like us and move on. We're there to experience and be part of their life and to help lift their voices or educate our own. We can then bring that information back and help spread it so everybody can feel heard in the world.
Images by Cari Payer
Da Silva: How did you end up teaching workshops?
Payer: My husband works in multiple locations, so we've been lucky enough to spend time in Hawaii, Germany, Florida and Tokyo. But the flip side of that is I can't establish anything for very long since our average time in a location is 18 months.
I've been a food photographer and worked a lot of commercial jobs, but there were times when I reached out to other photographers who inspired me for help and was brushed aside. Frequently in the photography industry, there's an idea that the work is a secret. For example, if you Google how to do something in photography, the first blog post is “Top Five Secrets On How to Take Landscape Photos.” Here's what it says: stand in front of a landscape, click the button, and you've taken a landscape photo. It's not really a secret. I'm not saying it doesn't take a lot of practice and technique. But this idea that how to take photos is a secret—it drives me crazy. And that's the reason I spun into teaching workshops.
Image by Cari Payer
Da Silva: What do you like best about teaching people who are new to photography?
Payer: I love helping people achieve whatever they're trying to communicate. We sometimes don't have the tools or skills yet, but that doesn't mean we don't have the story, ideas or creativity. In the photography industry, it's hard to find people who are willing to genuinely help you figure something out.
Sharing knowledge is crucial. One time, a student wanted to do a cool portrait shoot, and I'd never done anything like that. So I said, "Let's sit down and use the knowledge I have and the idea you have and try and come together and work it out." Having that human connection is one of the joys of teaching.
Image by Cari Payer
To watch Cari Payer's entire webinar, join our community by becoming a PWB community member. As a member, you'll have access to all "Storytelling for Change" sessions featuring notable photographer storytellers from around the world.