Paul Charles Bartlett, Faces of Bali - The Dreamer. The Believer and The Hustler (PORTRAIT 2024)

The Dreamer - I crossed paths with this lady on the streets in Sanur, she was asking for empty cans, bottles or any money that passers by could spare. I gave her some rupiah & asked if I may make a photo of her. She nodded & proceeded to wave at my camera, it was cute but it felt unnatural & performative, unrepresentative of the polite, peaceful energy I felt from her. Despite our language barrier, I was able to continue the interaction long enough to request one more photo, but this time I asked her to “relax & dream”. She took a deep breath & blessed me with the chance to photograph this moment. I can only imagine what she dreamt about. The Believer - First morning light, a man meditating by the beach. I approached him quietly & respectfully. He looked up at me, I smiled and slightly raised my camera, gesturing that I would like to make a portrait of him. He nodded, I made this photo and after another gentle smile and head nob from both parties, we parted ways. Not a word spoken, because not a single one was needed. The Hustler - In the bustling market areas, with tourists chasing bargains, a face with character and wonder stood out to me. He was just finishing up a cigarette in between delivering his well rehearsed sales pitches. And with a noisey backdrop of people bartering to secure their best deals, I had just negotiated my own trade. He graciously took one of my cigarettes from its pack and allowed me to capture this portrait. A fair trade indeed my friend.

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