[nfb-talk] Blind Photographers

Fri Feb 9 20:24:35 CST 2007

Believe me, I understand. When I was in college -- physics major -- to my 
amazement, I discovered that I was quite good at optics -- designing lens 
systems etc. Wierd, huh?

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Laura Eaves" <leaves1 at carolina.rr.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 12:17 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Blind Photographers

Believe it or not, I tend to agree -- photography is really sight-intensive
both in taking the picture and in appreciating the finished product. I think
it would be better if a blind person were to get a job in which he/she can
use his/her talents and access techniques to perform on the same level as
sighted peers.
But that being said, I once in college took a grad level course on computer
graphics and programming -- I was a little afraid of it at first, but after
starting the course I found I learned a lot about hardware and software
design that helped me understand sight itself a bit better, from a
behind-the-scenes technical point of view.  We studied how graphics monitors
were constructed, and also how to program a package that would move around
an object and draw a 3d image of it from any point of view.  And the final
project was a primitive math editor.
It was quite fun.  And while getting a job that is graphics intensive is
something I never considered, the experience was enriching.

So there's my "picture" from 2 points of view. (I always was a little
schizophrenic... j/k)

So good luck to anyone else who wants to take a photography course!
Take care.
--le

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 10:06 AM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Blind Photographers

I am certain that many will disagree with me, but ...

It seems to me that programs like this are just another manifestation of the
wish by some sighted persons *and* some blind persons to make the blind
sighted. Although I certainly have no objection to blind persons trying to
take photographs, I can't figure what this proves except to pretend that one
is "more normal" because one is engaging in an activity that, for most
people, is synonymous with sight. At the very least, the notion that blind
photographers are giving the sighted a glimpse into the world of the blind
is pure codswallop!

Mike Freeman

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "RyanO" <rosentowski at neb.rr.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 5:46 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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