The Realization

My dearest friend was in the middle of treatment for her breast cancer

when Katrina hit her home. She & her husband holed up in Houston till

they could come home. She was visiting me and I was taking photos of

her for upcoming book, and she showed me her breast and then a years

worth of angst, fear, and pain crashed down on her as I clicked the

shutter.

a quite deep and closed picture... i'm not sure... is it right or not to show a woman in this situation, but i can feel her pain...

wish her the very best...

 

ines

 

 

Thank you for bringing that up. She asked me to take the photo for a book she is writing about her life, and when she saw the picture she told me I should post it on Photo.net because it is real and genuine and she wanted to share her pain, that it helped her recover. I would never have posted it if she hadn't wanted me to.

Sharon,

 

The question to whether or not it should be shown, is ABSOLUTELY! Yes it should be shown. If your friend wants to raise awareness and she is willing to do this, than yes, I think it is a noble cause and your friend is brave for doing it. Photography is many things. It can capture life, death, and everything in between. Photos are powerful. We are visual species and photography has the power to render emotions, thoughts, imagination, and a lot of other things. I think the great thing about photography is that it transcends age, race, sex, culture, and even intellect. In other words, it appeals to everyone, and photography is so vast and dynamic that it can appeal to everyone. Photography is much like music. You'll never meet anybody that doesn't like music or looking at photos. Both have so many genres that it appeal to anybody's tastes. Having said this, the problem I have with photo.net, ......or I should say a small sub-community of photo.net, is that some think that only certain photos belong on the site.They think that they're an elite group and only they get to choose what is acceptable to shoot or not to shoot. I say, there's almost nothing that is off limits, as long as the subjects are willing. I did say ALMOST. There's probably somethings that shouldn't be photographed that I can't think of now or at least shouldn't be displayed in a public forum. Soooooo, that was a long enough answer, just to say YES, your photo should be displayed.

 

As far as the portrait itself, I feel uncomfortable sometimes critiquing portrait photography because I'm very new and unskilled at it. However, if you do want my opinion, I'll offer it. Keep in mind that I'm the bottom of the barrell when it comes to human subjects. I'm clueless when it comes to lighting, sharpness, DOF, etc...So having given my discalimer, take my comments with a grain of salt.

 

Here's what I see in this photo. The first thing that comes to mind is horror. Almost like a Nazi concentration camp. You have managed to make this photo very effective, and that's not neccissarily a good or bad thing. If you have ever watch that movie Shindler's List, the lighting, the sadness, the emotion that this photo conveys is remanisent of that movie.....for me. I thought it was kind of strange or maybe interesting is a better word, that her hand that is cupping her breast is very dark. Much darker than the rest of the photo. It almost looks like it's someone else's hand. It gives me a sense that she feels like she is being violated. I found it uncomforting that you choose to over-expose her (in terms of lighting) and make a very dark background. It makes her look isolated, alone, and fearful. It has a bit of an X-ray effect, and a nightmarish effect as well. Thus making it "effective". It's effective because it says so much and brings about so much thought.

 

Now on the flip side. You mentioned she was a cancer SURVIVOR. I think you should also photograph her in a beautiful sense as well. All the techniques you used in this shot is not flattering to your friend, and that's okay because you're not shooting for Glamour magazine, and again you have made this very effective in saying how horrific cancer can be. However, this is not a cancer victim, this is a cancer SURVIVOR. Some suggestions, if you get a another chance is to have her in makeup, (tastefully done, of course) with earrings, hair done, and with a huge smile of joy, relief, full of LIFE. Shoot her from right above the waist up, with both of her breasts exposed. I know one breast is going to look maimed, but I think if done right, it can say, yes I'm maimed but I BEAT cancer. I had cancer, but cancer never had me. It may have scarred me but it never took me down. If her intention is to bring cancer awareness, than nothing is more important than hope. This can speak volumes to other cancer patients. People going through cancer can view your new shot as something positive. Let people see her full of LIFE and not sadness. She is ALIVE. Let your photo capture that. That is my suggestion.

~Will

 

thank you for being honest with me. And I agree with most everything you have said, you know a lot more than you give yourself credit for. I respect your opinion, that's why I asked. I have taken some lovely shots of her and hope to post them soon. This portrait to me is RAW. BRUTAL. And you're right about the images from Shindler's list. It is horror. Thank you Will, you're a friend.

Sharon, I hope my comments were't offensive. I try to be honest when giving feedback and sometimes I guess it comes across harsh. I hope you didn't take it that way. ~Will

No offense taken, I requested your honest opinion and you gave it to me and I value it. Thanks, Shar

-Dear Sharon, you're a very special woman, Arthur.

I have to say that this made feel very strange and disturbed but you have captured something very important here and I appreciate it so. One of my best friends died from breast cancer after a long 11 year battle and I saw this same emotion many times. I also agree that it will be just as special to celebrate her survival because I, too, saw that many times as well even though the cancer did take her in the end. But the good times when she had them were wonderful. You are truly special and I will be looking forward to the follow-up photos as well. My very best, Bridgette

you are a prince. Thank you, it means a lot. Sharon

your comments are so appreciated. It was an emotional moment for both of us and I prayed she would like the shot. She cried and laughed all at the same time and kept thanking me for capturing something she has not been able to express. Sharon

Shocking effect.aching Photo.

I am Sharon's friend from the photo, my name is Rose. I would like to comment on this photo as well and make a comment or two on the other remarks regarding the photo.

 

First let me thank Sharon for this moving photo. It brings me to tears everytime I look at it, just as the cancer still does everytime I think of it. I wish she could have been available to me throughout the past year as I went through treatment, being bald, etc. I had to relie on others whose photography skills were lacking, so most of my "documentation" is really unusable for any professional (book) purpose. This photo brings all of that to a head and demonstrates the pain cancer brought to my being. Actually I spent many hours alone in my shower cupping my breast in my hand in just this same manner throughout treatment. I was diagnosed a year ago on December 29th and have been crying in this manner every since.

 

Will you made a comment regarding the color of my hand and forearm being so much darker than my skin, making it look like another's hand. This is NOT an effect that Sharon did, it is my normal coloring. Living in the south I stay tan most of the year, and those poor tender breasts have been covered from the sun during the past year due to the threat of burning since radiation.

 

We started out to just take a photo of the breast itself, but the minute the camera turned on me, my soul was exposed. I believe Sharon caught that. It is especialy evident in some of the other facial photos she took.

 

The "suivivor" phots will come...but this is a process. The doctors recently told me it may take as much as a year to recover from the cure...as my energy and strength return--as my LIFE returns--so will the joy in my eyes, and I hope Sharon and I can share that with you all as well.

 

Thank you all for your comments, they mean a greast deal to me. May you all be blessed in ways you dewsire in this coming new year...Rose

An amazing and touching photograph. You are either very fortunate to have a wonderful sense of artisty, or exceptionally lucky in getting the right moment. I cannot imagine anyone looking at this photo and not feeling immense pain and sympathy and a million other human emotions.

great capture of raw emotion...

how is rose doing now?

best regards!