Known asHaenyeo(meaning sea women) they are part of a tradition that dates back to 434 CE.
The Haenyeo are mostly over the age of 60.
PhotographerAlain Schroederspent time with the women and introduces them to a broader audience in his seriesGrandma Divers.
Captivated, Schroeder knew he needed to go back to shoot a dedicated portrait series.
Schroeder returned that September with an interpreter and was ready to shoot.
We spoke with Schroeder aboutGrandma Divers, how it came together, and the history behind the incredible Haenyeo.
Scroll down for My Modern Mets exclusive interview.
Photographer Alain Schroeder captures the women carrying on the Korean tradition of freediving in his seriesGrandma Divers.
Learn more about it in My Modern Met’s exclusive interview, below.
How did you get your start in photography?
When I had seen everything they had about painting, the librarian gave me some photography books.
After that, I discovered another famous magazine calledZOOM, and all the classic photographers like Cartier-Bresson, Koudelka…
I was hooked and switched immediately from fine arts to photography.
As a student with very little money, I traveled to Afghanistan and caught the travel virus.
It was the perfect combination of travel and photography but it wasnt easy to make a living.
I was asked to replace a tennis photographer who was sick.
The editor was impressed and he hired me.
That was the beginning of my professional career and I havent stopped working since.
Within a few years, it grew from 3 to more than 25 people doing all types of photography.
Around 2000, business was getting harder due to the internet and the rise of digital cameras.
This revolution affected magazines and newspapers as well and the money suddenly disappeared.
I have been a professional photographer for 45 years.
Technically, I am retired (67) but still working.
You capture really interesting subjects.
How do you find your subject matter?
When I find something interesting, I do a print screen and file it on my computer.
What kind of considerations do you take into account when creating a series?
Shooting a series gives a better understanding of a story.
In general, I am not a single-shot photographer.
I think in series.
it’s possible for you to tell one story or another by where you place the accent.
Even here in a portrait series, the sequencing is important.
I’m most interested in the in-depth reporting of stories relating to people and their environment.
Various cultures, modes of living, rituals, and customs fascinate me.
I strive to tell a story in 1015 pictures, capturing the essence of an instant.
TheGrandma Diversseries is a compelling look at an aging group of women who free dive.
What inspired you to capture their portraits?
What was it like capturing the portraits of the women inGrandma Divers?
Can you tell us a little more about them?
The overwhelming majority of Haenyeo are over the age of 60.
Most of the ladies I shot were in their late 60s, early 70s.
They are freediving to 1020 meters, holding their breath for up to two full minutes!
This occupation is highly regulated and organized by local fisheries.
It is a difficult, risky lifestyle that is rapidly disappearing as young women choose to pursue other careers.
Most of the divers told me they did not encourage their children to dive.
Most of the women have been diving for 3040 years or even longer.
Their days are long.
They can spend up to 7 hours a day in the cold water battling currents.
There are still about 4,000 ladies who make a living by collecting delicacies from the sea.
I shot with a telephoto lens and the background was totally black.
With the wetsuit, that black-on-black was visually interesting.
Then another problem appeared; a tropical storm and nobody was diving for one week.
On one particular day, it was raining quite hard so the ladies were waiting to dive.
I was lucky to be able to take advantage of that moment.
Can you take us through your stylistic choices?
The grey light was perfect to set the mood for the pictures.
The good news about the rain is that it gives a nice sheen to the neoprene suit.
(continued)These women wear their experiences on their (wrinkled) faces.
The women were difficult to engage even though I had a local fixer who spoke Korean and their dialect.
Many of them were indifferent.
The idea was to keep them busy for a few minutes without just standing there.
A few ladies simply refused to participate.
It is the first time that people did not react enthusiastically to the pictures.
The work they do is really hard and most simply prefer to be left alone.
I wanted the pictures to have the same look and feel while depicting different aspects of their life.
When you photograph groups likeGrandma Divers, how do you view your role as a photographer?
What are your concerns as you work?
I make a run at show various cultures and lifestyles; maybe show something you are not aware of.
ButGrandma Diversseems to be a popular series.
Probably the right combination of drama, aesthetics, age, and harsh weather.
It is the magic of photography.
What’s on the horizon for you?
Anything exciting you’re free to tell us about?
A few years ago, I shot a story calledSaving Orangutanswhich won twoWorld Pressand one POYI.
