[nfb-talk] Blind Photographers

[Laura Eaves]

That's interesting -- I am interested in this as over Christmas I bought 
myself a camcorder that burns dvd's.  I am having trouble justifying this to 
my family members, but I feel like if I have a camera handy I can point it 
at things I don't see and have someone else tell me later what is in the 
video.
I also wanted to shoot pictures of little things like my dog doing tricks as 
something cute to put on my website. But again, I still need sighted 
assistance to show me how to use the thing.
Has anyone else on the list successfully used a camcorder?
I have taken some cute photos of people and things on my cell phone camera, 
but never a video.

Ok, now you all have seen my frivolous side -- I need to get some use out of 
this thing hopefully soon...

Take care all and happy photographing!
--le

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "RyanO" <rosentowski at neb.rr.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 8:46 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Blind Photographers


>From the Associated Press:

Blind Photographers Show Work in Israel
By MARSHALL THOMPSON
The Associated Press
Friday, February 9, 2007; 5:46 AM
TEL AVIV, Israel -- Reaching above her dark glasses, Riki Fritsh held a
compact camera to her forehead and snapped away at a group of passengers
boarding
a bus. Most of the travelers were caught off guard by the camera's flash.
But they were even more surprised to learn that Fritsh is blind.
Fritsh is one of nine blind photographers featured in an exhibition at the
Bezalel Academy of Art and Design at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
"When people see the photos, they are proud of me," said Fritsh, 50, who has
been completely blind since birth. "They can't believe that I took these
pictures."
Organizers said one of their goals is to let visitors see what it's like to
be blind.
"When we follow the things that they decide to shoot, it reveals their world
to us," said Iris Shinar, one of the group's instructors.
Some of the photos in the exhibit are out of focus. Some don't show the
subjects' faces, but all provide candid glimpses into the lives of the
photographers.
One photo shows a darkened apartment and another shows the blurry image of
the artist in an ornate mirror. A sultry woman _ the girlfriend of one of
the
photographers _ lounges on a couch. A 90-year-old grandmother takes a nap in
the afternoon sun.
An annual exhibit of blind photographers in Tokyo inspired Shinar and fellow
photographer Kfir Sivan to start their own program in Israel. They hope
similar
programs will start in other countries as well.
Several groups exist worldwide for partially blind and otherwise disabled
photographers, but completely blind photography is still quite rare, said
Shirley
Britton of the Disabled Photographers Society in the United Kingdom.
"There seems to be a lot of people who are partially sighted," Britton said.
"But I don't know if a completely blind person could really do photography."
Shinar and Sivan weren't sure how it would work either. Before the class
started, they experimented by blindfolding themselves and taking pictures to
see
what would work. They discovered that holding the camera to the forehead,
like a third eye, was the best way to stabilize and aim the camera.
They found volunteer participants from the Herzliya Center for the Blind,
near Tel Aviv, and started teaching. Since last March, they have been
teaching
the group on a volunteer basis, providing the students with cameras, film
and other supplies. The classes covered composition, fundamentals, and a
history
of photography, among other subjects. The results impressed even the
instructors.
"Every week Riki brings me a roll and in every roll there are winning
shots," Shinar said.
Since she started photographing people on her bus route Fritsh, 50, has
become well-known and several people call out to her by name as they board.
One
bus passenger even asked her to be the official photographer for a party at
a local nursing home.
"At first, it was a bit odd," said Shira Yehzkia, an 18-year-old passenger
whose grandfather is also blind. "But I get really excited to see blind
people
do things that are not regular for them."
While some might be skeptical that a blind person can create visual art,
professor Gerald Pryor, head of the photography department at New York
University,
said the concept makes sense.
"They see the world with their bodies," Pryor said. "They sense the world in
a different way, and they can manifest that world in a photograph."
The art, however, doesn't just share the artists' world, Shinar said, it
also helps the artists themselves connect to the people around them.
Shinar said some students like to document their travels and activities for
their grandchildren. One woman photographed her Passover feast preparations
for more than 30 family members.
The exhibit closed on Tuesday after a three-week run that attracted crowds
of more than 400 people. Shinar said the class will continue.
"We can't stop now," she said. "We are like family."
The photos can still be viewed online at
http://www.theblindphotographer.com


RyanO

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