Comments on: Privileged POV: Closing the Disparity Between the Photographer and the Documented http://rising.blackstar.com/privileged-pov-closing-the-disparity-between-the-photographer-and-the-docum.html Professional Photography Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:56:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: p. pennhttp://rising.blackstar.com/privileged-pov-closing-the-disparity-between-the-photographer-and-the-docum.html/comment-page-1#comment-2465 p. penn Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:18:35 +0000 #comment-2465 I am a very amateur photographer and have been wrestling with this issue for quite some time now so I appreciate your position and question asking. Being an amateur I have not taken very many photos of folks I don’t know. I am just too shy right now to even attempt to approach. However, I was consumed by the idea that I am exploiting my friends and family by putting them on a wall for others to look at and examine with out knowing them as amazing people who’ve contributed to my life. All of my photographs began to strike me as very personal as I was choosing which to put on display for my very first show. So while I understand the questions you pose regarding disparity, isn’t it quite possible that photographers every where are “pimping out” their subject regardless of their social-economic background. Isn’t it what the paparazzi do to the famous? I am a very amateur photographer and have been wrestling with this issue for quite some time now so I appreciate your position and question asking. Being an amateur I have not taken very many photos of folks I don’t know. I am just too shy right now to even attempt to approach. However, I was consumed by the idea that I am exploiting my friends and family by putting them on a wall for others to look at and examine with out knowing them as amazing people who’ve contributed to my life. All of my photographs began to strike me as very personal as I was choosing which to put on display for my very first show. So while I understand the questions you pose regarding disparity, isn’t it quite possible that photographers every where are “pimping out” their subject regardless of their social-economic background. Isn’t it what the paparazzi do to the famous?

]]> By: eric j hendersonhttp://rising.blackstar.com/privileged-pov-closing-the-disparity-between-the-photographer-and-the-docum.html/comment-page-1#comment-2344 eric j henderson Sat, 03 Jan 2009 02:20:19 +0000 #comment-2344 First - have to say that I wholly agree with this article, a perspective I haven't heard voiced much.I was on a project in Morocco where a colleague had just started shooting the neighborhood - in awe of the poverty and trying to capture the image on film. I asked her to stop. We argued - I went through the rationale similar to that laid out here, but we still disagreed. Even further, she said that it should be documented "for the good of the people there."Everything does not need to be documented in pictures. I can tell you that someone is living in misery and you can then either take a picture to "help" or you can ...help. That said, I have done work in areas that are clearly impoverished by any estimation. I didn't take any images on the sly and just worked in cooperation under a mutual understanding of what we were trying to accomplish.It's just being people to people vs. hiding behind a camera and treating folks as objects. There is still art to be found in that kind of collaboration. We shouldn't be so skeptical as to be scared that we'll miss out on something, especially when that something is an image we've already constructed by our own preconceptions. First - have to say that I wholly agree with this article, a perspective I haven't heard voiced much.

I was on a project in Morocco where a colleague had just started shooting the neighborhood - in awe of the poverty and trying to capture the image on film. I asked her to stop. We argued - I went through the rationale similar to that laid out here, but we still disagreed. Even further, she said that it should be documented "for the good of the people there."

Everything does not need to be documented in pictures. I can tell you that someone is living in misery and you can then either take a picture to "help" or you can ...help. That said, I have done work in areas that are clearly impoverished by any estimation. I didn't take any images on the sly and just worked in cooperation under a mutual understanding of what we were trying to accomplish.

It's just being people to people vs. hiding behind a camera and treating folks as objects. There is still art to be found in that kind of collaboration. We shouldn't be so skeptical as to be scared that we'll miss out on something, especially when that something is an image we've already constructed by our own preconceptions.

]]> By: zeechhttp://rising.blackstar.com/privileged-pov-closing-the-disparity-between-the-photographer-and-the-docum.html/comment-page-1#comment-555 zeech Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:25:55 +0000 #comment-555 Too right Lori. As someone who lives in the 'Developing' (or 'recovering world' as dad made us call it)it's disgusting to me when people come down to 'capture' (and cage and put in some zoo for the middle classes to chat amongst themselves) shanty town & bush people who often go along because the Photographer is First World (and we know our place). Qianna really is different, and that's why we invited her down to our getto island in the caribbean sun because we knew she wouldn't come with that Poverty Pimp mentality, which we see here all the time. How you do it Q? and can you spread it around to others?Zeech Too right Lori. As someone who lives in the 'Developing' (or 'recovering world' as dad made us call it)it's disgusting to me when people come down to 'capture' (and cage and put in some zoo for the middle classes to chat amongst themselves) shanty town & bush people who often go along because the Photographer is First World (and we know our place). Qianna really is different, and that's why we invited her down to our getto island in the caribbean sun because we knew she wouldn't come with that Poverty Pimp mentality, which we see here all the time.
How you do it Q? and can you spread it around to others?

Zeech

]]> By: Bethhttp://rising.blackstar.com/privileged-pov-closing-the-disparity-between-the-photographer-and-the-docum.html/comment-page-1#comment-525 Beth Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:35:55 +0000 #comment-525 Art imitates life...but I fear as well that some artists have ignored the reality of life, the humanity within while attempting to capture the winning shot. I appreciate your wisdom and heart. It is important for artists as ordinary citizens of the world to not become jaded by a promise of celebrity. Thank you for your blog! Art imitates life...but I fear as well that some artists have ignored the reality of life, the humanity within while attempting to capture the winning shot. I appreciate your wisdom and heart. It is important for artists as ordinary citizens of the world to not become jaded by a promise of celebrity. Thank you for your blog!

]]> By: Lorihttp://rising.blackstar.com/privileged-pov-closing-the-disparity-between-the-photographer-and-the-docum.html/comment-page-1#comment-523 Lori Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:08:11 +0000 #comment-523 Art & phtoography are one in the same, and still people find people suffering forms of art...I have been a witness to people taking pictures of those living in misery for their personal gain and it's so disgusting....You have a gift for photography and also possess respect for life. You care for human dignity and many people lack that these days...You article was very well written and I totally get it! Point taken! Looking forward to reading more of your blogs and seeing more of your work.... Art & phtoography are one in the same, and still people find people suffering forms of art...I have been a witness to people taking pictures of those living in misery for their personal gain and it's so disgusting....You have a gift for photography and also possess respect for life. You care for human dignity and many people lack that these days...You article was very well written and I totally get it! Point taken! Looking forward to reading more of your blogs and seeing more of your work....

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