As a studio photographer, Sarah Kunstler '97 continually strives to create pictures that are works of art. During her first real "assignment" as a photojournalist this summer, however, she faced one of her toughest artistic challenges.
Ms. Kunstler was one of thousands of photographers who flocked to Hong Kong to capture images of that country's historic reunification with China. The Yale College senior, who traveled to Hong Kong on a Bates Summer Traveling Fellowship from Yale, wanted to create a photo-essay conveying the experiences of Hong Kong citizens during the first month of reunification.
Though excited about her first solo trip abroad, Ms. Kunstler experienced waves of self-doubt as she watched Hong Kong come into view as her plane descended on the then-British territory. "I didn't want to simply take pictures of the official handover ceremonies," she explains. "What I wanted was to put together a telling portrait of a critical period in history, with photographs that are uniquely my own."
Soon after her arrival, Ms. Kunstler began to feel at ease about her quest. "I met people very quickly there," she says. "As a foreigner who was there alone, people were always coming up to talk to me, and it just felt thrilling to be there. It was one of the best summers I've had in a long time."
Thanks to a family friend, a photo editor from People magazine, Ms. Kunstler was sponsored as a member of the press pool, which had governmental clearance for access to official events. At the "farewell ceremony" marking the end of British rule, she captured such images as the last wave of the imperial flag, a final salute by British soldiers and the faces of citizens watching official celebrations.
But it was in her daily meanderings in the city, in rural territories and elsewhere that Ms. Kunstler found her favorite subjects. Among the many photographs she took during her four-week stay in Hong Kong are pictures of people dancing in the streets on the day of the handover; a view from the top of an escalator carrying a line of Chinese armed guards; scenes from a "Celebrate Hong Kong '97" rock concert; images of monks at a Buddhist gathering celebrating the reunification; pictures of trade union members protesting actions by their new government; and shots of the two-way flow of travelers between Lo Wu and Shenzen, cities on opposite sides of the Chinese-Hong Kong border.
Her images, along with short descriptions she wrote about them, were posted during her stay in Hong Kong on a PBS web site about the handover. She was one of 20 people living in or visiting Hong Kong whose works were featured on the site's "Diaries" link. "It was neat to be able to write about my impressions and to read about other people's," says the Branford College student.
Ms. Kunstler, who is majoring in both the humanities and art with a concentration in photography, began taking pictures when she got her first camera as a young teenager. "As I got older, photography was a way of continuing to be mischievous," she says. "When you have a camera, it gives you an excuse to look, sneak and poke around in things that adults aren't really supposed to, and the older I get, the more important it becomes to me." She is a contributing photographer to three campus publications: the Yale Herald, Aurora and the Yale Literary Magazine.
Although uncertain about whether she will pursue a career in photography, Ms. Kunstler does intend to continue perfecting her work, and believes that her experience in Hong Kong has helped her in that goal.
"Being in Hong Kong -- where as a foreigner I was a part of something that didn't really belong to me -- really expanded my sensibility about photography. I didn't want to exploit anyone by taking their pictures. I became a lot more aware of this issue, and others, that are faced by photographers," she comments. "I'd love to go back to Asia again; I feel I have to spend more time there in connection with my work."