Monday, October 29, 2012

Can a Blind Person Photograph a Wedding?


Last week I attended a seminar with a professional photographer about the business side of wedding photography.
There were lots of young hopeful budding entrepeneurs there and they probably found something useful.
My problem with photography is that I see it more as a tool for social and personal  change and enjoyment and expression than as a money making exercise.
Hence I have never become rich on earnings from photography and never will be.
It was mentioned during the seminar how amazed the studio was  when a blind person ordered a substantial number of expensive prints.
There was a purpose in that story relevant to the night but it made my mind wander(it often does) back to an  article I had read some years ago about people who were blind doing photography.
The people I read about at the time told how they could take pictures while on holidays and come back and share their snaps with family and friends.
Just like sighted people.
It gave them a sense of belonging,normalcy and well being.
So my mind quickly raced to thinking in this day and age with the marvels of modern technology could a blind person photograph a wedding?
I decided they could to a certain extent but would need some assistance and would more likely be the second shooter.
Bear in mind that not all people who are legally blind have no sight at all.
After all there are blind cricket teams that enjoy playing cricket.
So I googled blind wedding photorapher and eventually came to the website below.
These are some wonderful free resources.

http://www.photovoice.org/shop/info/methodology-series

Here I found an amazing organisation that is based in the UK  and has run workshops on how to use photography to enable marginalised groups of people to find a voice and creative outlet for self expression and personal  growth.

These include:

Young refugees

Vunerable Women

Blind People

I find the reports and how to's very well presented and would encourage people who are photographers and have a sense of social conscience to explore this website and other similar organisation they are linked to.
I find this subject compliments my previous posts on Phototherapy and Using Your Camera for God.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/phototherapy.html

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/using-your-camera-for-god.html

So congratulations Photovoice and have a go photographers.

I would be pleased to hear from any who have been involved in this type of work.

 9/12/15 Have just added a link to a docco on blind photographers.

https://fstoppers.com/documentary/beautiful-behind-scenes-video-offers-insight-how-blind-photographers-work-101989






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