Taking a Stand

I have been shooting with my 50mm lens for some time now, and there are a few things that I have learned from using a prime lens. A fixed lens establishes a specific distance between the camera and its subject. This means you have to move your body into the position your photograph requires. You need to get close, in front of or behind of people and things. Sometimes you need to take a step back when trying to find the perfect framing. Photography becomes physical.
When shooting with a 50mm lens you can't hide behind a big lens and zoom in on your "victim". In Teixeira de Freitas, our former town, hiding was essential due to its skyrocketing criminality. Walking around in the streets with the camera in your hand was dangerous. I had a few hideouts where I would crouch in a dark corner and wait for the perfect shot. The author of "Colours of Brazil" was an invisible photographer.
Our move to Arraial d'Ajuda brought a huge change. Criminality is very low, and people are used to having cameras pointed at them. At first, this felt very liberating. It's nice not having to be on alert constantly and fear for the safety of your camera (or even your life).  
But it was only when I began shooting with my prime lens that I became aware of my own position at the other end of that invisible line drawn by the camera between subject and photographer. I had to step out of my hiding place and take a stand in front of my subject, sometimes at a distance of only three feet from a human face that sees you and looks straight at you. It's like looking into a mirror.
I became visible - not only to the person I was photographing, but also to myself.