[stylist] Blindness and photography

Sat Aug 7 12:55:16 UTC 2010

Robert and Elizabeth,
First, let me say Elizabeth that I understand your concern about blind 
people embarrassing themselves with photography, and to a certain 
extent, my comments were motivated by the fact that I write articles for 
online magazines that require pictures and have had to pass on stories 
because even with six months of lead time many blind people can't get 
pictures. I think we need more mainstream publicity and photos would 
help. I recently got an online photography group to post info about the 
NFB and a suggestion that all of our affiliates could at some time or 
other use the help of a volunteer photographer. To the best of my 
knowledge, however, it has not led to anything.

On the other hand, as a person who had some useable vision for many 
years, I was an amateur photographer. I started when I was 7 or 8 and 
stopped in my thirties -- partly because I gave away my favorite camera 
thinking that a new one would do a better job and I didn't like it (dumb 
move, but it was my sister). This was in a day when we only had film and 
auto focus was just coming in when I gave up. That being said, there 
were several benefits to taking photos. First, as a person with RP and 
severe tunnel vision, I could often get a better visual concept of 
things through pictures than through direct viewing. I took many 
pictures that were in the acceptible range for amateurs, according to my 
professional photographer husband, and some that are actually good.

The thing that Rich points out about professional photographers is that 
they take many photos. They bracket exposures and ultimately if they get 
one good shot per session, most of them -- not Rich -- are happy. 
Nowadays with digital photography, it is inexpensive to take multiple 
photos since we don't have to develop film.

As Robert points out, hearing can help focus, and the problems are 
fairly predictable -- centering, not aiming too high or too low. With a 
sighted teacher and the ability for that person to look at the photos 
immediately, there has never been a greater opportunity for trial and 
error learning. Part of it involves learning to be centered in your own 
body, which should be worked on without the camera for many reasons. 
Elizabeth, I certainly don't think blind photographers should be posting 
their photos without first having a sighted person, who they trust to be 
honest and able to verbalize criticism, look at them and weed out the duds.

The other point is that there already have been blind photographers who 
have books and exhibits of their work. I remember encountering one such 
person back in the '80s -- a woman from NYC, I think. She had a lot of 
vision for a blind person, and Rich considered her work "ordinary." 
Nonetheless, the precedent is there. Whether you like their work or not, 
it's being done.

Just as a note to Robert, I'm not sure about the quality of cell phone 
photos. Some web sites won't take them, but they may be getting better 
than they had been. Even so, if people  are doing it so their sighted 
children have a visual record of their childhoods, I'm sure they're good 
enough.

Donna

Read Donna's articles on
Suite 101:
www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
American Chronicle:
www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885

Connect with Donna on
Twitter:
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Donna is Head of Media Relations for the nonprofit
Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind:
www.padnfb.org

On 8/6/2010 9:40 PM, Robert Leslie Newman wrote:
>   Well, Donna and Elizabeth, looks like some discussion is needed about blind
> guys taking photos? (Hmm, rather thought provoking)
>
> I believe that for a blind guy, today, snapping a good photo is more likely
> of success than ever before! When I take pictures, my greatest challenge is
> getting the subject centered or --- otherwise properly placed on the
> finished picture. Meaning, I'll some times be too high or too low or off to
> the right or left and will not capture enough of my subject. But hey, many
> times I do catch an interesting pic! I mainly use my cell phone; super easy
> to delete those photos that are not acceptable. I use my ears to zero in on
> where my subject is located; auditorially spot, then snap. what I think I
> need to do is --- do it more often. And as for a blind guy becoming a photo
> artist or other photo professional? Well, could be! It is like most things
> in life, some of us have it and some of us do not.
>
> Hey, maybe we could put on a contest of who can come up with the best photo
> and/or series of 6 or a dozen photos! How many of you out there have a
> camera phone? Up for the challenge?
>
> (Elisabeth, I'm not sure what your feelings are about blindness and
> photography, but it seemed by your response to Dona's and mine, that you
> were in opposition to our excitement over the message I sent to the list on
> the course/info page on the blind taking photos and maybe making something
> of that in --- well our lives or in a career. So how say you? (This
> discussion would be respectful and well, instructive.)
>
>
>
> Robert Leslie Newman
> President NFB Writers' division
> Writers' Division Website-
> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org
> Personal Website-
> http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Donna Hill
> Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 2:25 PM
> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [stylist] Blindness and photography
>
> Thanks Robert! If more blind people took pictures, we would have more media
> outlets for our stories!
> Donna
>
> Read Donna's articles on
> Suite 101:
> www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/donna_hill
> American Chronicle:
> www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3885
>
> Connect with Donna on
> Twitter:
> www.twitter.com/dewhill
> LinkedIn:
> www.linkedin.com/in/dwh99
> FaceBook:
> www.facebook.com/donna.w.hill.
>
> Hear clips from "The Last Straw" at:
> cdbaby.com/cd/donnahill
> Apple I-Tunes
> phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=259244374
>
> Check out the "Sound in Sight" CD project Donna is Head of Media Relations
> for the nonprofit Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the
> Blind:
> www.padnfb.org
>
>
> On 8/6/2010 1:24 PM, Robert Leslie Newman wrote:
>    
>> Hey STYLIST members, here is an interesting site to check out. It's
>> not about writing, but it deals with an skill that is often associated
>> with writing (like in the news paper or books, etc.)
>>
>> Blind With Camera School of Photography is a virtual school with
>> step-by-step tutorials for the visually impaired to get started with
>> photography and guidance to sighted photographers for starting
>> photographic workshops with local visually impaired people.
>>
>>
>> <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103601039185&s=3910&e=001PsgFa0OJYOsU6m
>> li68as
>> FX7oGcOcZRAqA-mEOYBq2vk334oeaLxtCx-GpDgMf2vU3FbXtJyE1cQ4lsJK8cvdmXLbW6
>> 8nuq80
>> INGrImyzskNBaClBHACQhKfKyTWq2GPy>
>> INGrImyzskNBaClBHACQhKfKyTWq2GPy>  http://www.blindwithcameraschool.org
>>
>> Robert Leslie Newman
>> President NFB Writers' division
>> Writers' Division Website-
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org<http://www.nfb-writers-division.or
>> g/>
>> Personal Website-
>> http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Writers Division web site:
>> http://www.nfb-writers-division.org<http://www.nfb-writers-division.or
>> g/>
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