photographing blind people

Hi

 

i have had a few experiences attempting to take a photography of

blind people, and have been sometimes baffled when they ask why

bother taking my photo... i can't see it, and that's part of my

questioning it to show others how courageous these people are to go

on with daily life

 

there is also the aspects of posing them if at all, there is no

visual cues... this comes as an obvious statement but how do you ask

someone to pose like so and not be able to demonstrate, it's tons

more energy needed relying on good verbal directions

 

there's a couple seconds where you need to concentrate on focusing

and they might not know whether or you've taken the photo (digita

has no click and flash doesn't mean anything) and they move... i'm

not frustrated by it though i just find it a different challenge

 

i've volunteered for a special olympics for years so i have some

background about the compassion and frustration of living with a

disibility that goes with it, and now volunteer at the school

newspaper and want some suggestion efore i try to take the subject

of blindness on as a photo-essay (sorta a philosophical question in

itself... but worth trying for to shoot)

 

thanks for any suggestions and feedback

 

gooday

 

phil

I don't personally have any experience photographing the blind, however I just finished up a three part project with a woman who was deaf. The first day I worked with her, I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. I was working on a portrait in which it was a side profile shot and then I realized if she could not see me, then she could not read my lips for cues. When I reached over to touch her, I ended up startling her. Often I would talk to her with my camera up against my eye as I usually do with most subjects, forgetting she couldn't hear me. My subject though was very understanding. It was a learning experience as a photographer and an amazing personal experience for me to spend time with her. I think the success of your project will truly depend on the connection and trust you have. Go for it.<div></div>

"why bother taking my photo... i can't see it"

 

They can, if you do a little work. One blind photographer I met about 20 years ago had some process for developing the film (I think he used matrix film) that left the surface swelled and hardened, so he could feel the pictures. I built him a talking light meter, and helped with a few other odd bits and pieces of equipment.

 

There are also impact printers that can print a relief photo into foil.

There's a project by Yann Arthus Bertrand to print his Earth series in relief so blind

people could... experience the photo.

 

--ben

Digital has no click? My digital camera has big ol' click.

yah... i had that experience when dealing with people with impairments, there's a total startling effect on the person if you don't move slowly or explain yourself and occasionally slip up and treat them like anyone else, which is cool because you have forgotten and looked past the disability and see an amazing person to learn from... thanks for sharing the beautiful portrait by the way

 

i guess i'll have to experiment more when i get the chance and just find out what to do over time... but having someone "read" your face and recognize you but voice and smell (hopefully good) is quite a crazy cool experience

 

relief photos sounds like awesome stuff... ingeneous use of darkroom chemicals to keep printing :D i've seen something similar now that i think about it...

 

sorri it happens to be rude but there's a scene near the beginning of Mel Brook's movie "Robin Hood - Men in Tights" where Blink, the blind guy, is err sitting and "reading" a magazine with a centerfold... is that a rough example of relief photos?

 

i know blink's centerfold is hollywood and mel brooks gently mocking our culural views to make us think while we're splitting a rib, but would it be similar in nature to real braille photos?? i've just never seen one and i'm intrigued enough to head to the blind institute in my town some time soon

 

i'll let you know how it goes... an electronic click... right... forgot about it as my camera is a few years old and i hated the beep, but i'll turn it back on for a shoot, thanks again

 

gooday

 

phil

here's my second attempt with blindness, at college these psychology students were experiencing lack of sensory perceptions, they were quite thankful for their sight afterwards; hitting almost everything and everyone not in sight, and tripping over stairs after 20minutes wandering for the lab exercise... so was i when i tried it for a few minutes; being in pitch black and relying on a person guiding me was... different

 

the blind girl i took a photo of with her friend... it sorta worked out... i remember i had no idea how to even tell her... look this way... though i caught her beautiful smile after i stopping tripping out, it was then i realized wow... this is different... i'll try again though

 

now i want to try some more stuff, thanks for listening<div></div>