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I
accidentally pickup an old issue of a photo magazine from the road side
bookseller in Mumbai, it carried an article on Evgan Bavcar an
accomplished blind photographer based in Paris. I came in contact with
Evgan Bavcar over e-mail and I was proudly influenced by his work,
philosophy and reason of being a blind photographer. I engaged myself into
self-study on blindness and photography and other visual art forms. During
my self-study I came in touch (over internet) with many blind
photographers around the world and few sighted photographers collaborating
with blind photographers
My
passion for photography and search for new ideas / originality made me
think to start a workshop on photography for the blind in Mumbai. It was
not easy to get across the idea of photography by the blind as it garners
the same questions, doubts and even disbelief from the blind community as
much as from those of us with normal sight
After
months of trying to get blind participants, I had two young participants
First
session was about types of camera, the optics of camera, how camera works,
the kind of films used, makers of camera and films, what is ASA of film
and how it is related to light, how film is loaded in camera, how film get
exposed inside the camera, how exposure can be controlled by changing
aperture and shutter speed
I
described each detail and when description did not work I draw
illustration on their arms, make them touch the camera thoroughly to feel
placement of essential parts and its functions. Open the lens of SLR
camera and make their finger pass through the camera (while keeping
shutter open) to understand the direction of light entering the camera
thru lens and hits the film. Make them feel temperature difference between
sunlight and shadow area while explaining the relation of ASA of a film to
lighting condition. Make them familiar with the movement of aperture ring
of the lens to explain the change the aperture. Making them familiar with
the sound of different shutter speeds
Session
continued till the time the participants where comfortable in operating
the camera. I would answer their queries and they would try it out
themselves, they would answer then I asked them questions. The first
session ended by giving them tips on ways to get familiar with space and
objects to be photographed. Participants took few pictures on the first
day
The
enthusiasm was at its peak, they where holding camera for the first time
in their life and I made best effort to make the adaptive leaning
as effective as possible. I was surprised by the response of the
participants, their quick learning and ability to memorize things
Second
day sessions started by asking them questions from first session, they
would nearly answer correctly, it was followed by session on ‘taking
of pictures’ and participants actually taking pictures
Third
participant joining from the second session
All
other days thereafter were about different aspect of taking of pictures
and visually impaired participants taking pictures on different photo
themes. Workshop sessions were held during weekends, it started first from
the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind and moved to outdoor and studio
Taking
of pictures was a bigger challenge
for all of us, even bigger for me as a photographer, to play a role of a
‘visual connector’ for the visually impaired participants and
yet keep myself away from the act of taking pictures
I
wanted the process of creation to be a journey through an unknown
path, explore the ways as we travel to reach an (or many) untouched
destination (s)
To
make the participants ‘see’ the world without the biasness of
the sighted person, I brained stormed to find approaches that would slowly
but surely open up their closed valves of visual thinking, trigger
the process of using the Mind’s eye and develop visual sensibility
I never
shared with the visually impaired participants the rules of photography
(the way we know it) and what make a picture good or bad (the way we judge
it). Instead I always spoke about the visual realities surrounding
us, experience of living with it and most essentially the visual and
emotional power that can be captured to communicate new meanings. I
extensively spoke about the masters of photography, about their work and
the philosophy behind their great work. We also visited galleries and I
spoke conceptually about the theme of the exhibition and what the artist
is trying to tell. We went to theater and cinema to understand how
dialogues are cohesively related with visual on stage and screens
During
our outings people around us wonder what the blinds are trying to do with
camera, after all what the blind has to do with art gallery, cinema halls
and theater. I shared it with
the team and we enjoyed the attention
With time our interpersonal relationship improved, our ‘visual
talking’ had all those words that are judiciously avoided
when sighted and blind talk to each other and with time our non-obligatory
relationship was established
Getting
to see through Mind’s eye is not enough, it’s the first step;
translating mental images into photographs is the second step. It’s a
complex reunion of mental and physical process -
Participants
are asked to spend time to feel the space, sense the layout of objects in
the space, touch them (if within reach or use judgment), listen to the
detail description of the sighted companion and other sounds that one can
hear, feel the heat of the area to identify the contrast of light, search
for visual memory of sight (visual inventory) and try to correlate memory
to the external world. This process triggers the visual thinking in
participants and first version of the mental image is abstractly
developed. By seeking more visual clues the participants creates the final
version of the mental image
The
participants by touch and judgment measure the distance from the object(s)
and the space around it, then places the camera (on tripod or handheld) in
relation to the objects, space and light and finally takes a picture
Approach
to join the mental and physical process changes with the subject to be
photographed, with indoor, outdoors and studio sessions and participant
ability. Constructing pictures in mind and physically demands intense
involvement and concentration of the participants and it evolves to get
better with time
Some
assistance are required by the visually impaired participants from the
sighted companion to the extent that it does not overrule the
vision and sensed judgment of visually impaired photographer. I
played the lead role of sighted companion helping them in conceptualizing
images. My other roles varied as guide, collaborator, teacher, facilitator
and sometime assistant
A
painter and a sculpture where unknown to each other, the sculpture lost
his both hands in an accident, the painter lost sight in both eyes. Both
could not continue their career as artists. After years accidentally they
meet at an art gallery, became good friends and decided to explore new
approach to creation. Sculpture how had lost hands described the visual
realities, blind painter did painting based on description and his
artistic judgmental abilities
I
see myself as the sculpture and visually impaired participants as
the painter
My
collaboration with the visually impaired participants immediately took
off, as the photographs made at the workshop were interesting and
awaking. I explored the reunion of mental and physical process into wide
range of photo themes, all resulted work had element of surprise that
questions and defies our perception
Sometime
visually impaired participants took magical pictures even with minimum
clues. These unexplainable performances can be attributed to ‘luck’
but it’s more logical correct to say that sometime all that looks
unattractive in the Mind’s eye may be the beautiful in front of the
camera or visa versa
That
brings us to question the role of the Mind’s eye in the blind
Mind’s
eye connects the invisible world to the visible world through rational stimulation
of non-visual senses and the desire to create picture is the answer to the
existence and role of the Mind’s eye. Mind’s eye does not totally
eliminate the element of ‘luck’ but minimizes it to great extend as
only Mind’s eye can ‘see’ more than actual ‘seeing’
How
to make the visually impaired participants ‘see’ the
photographs they had taken, was not a lesser challenge for me
Low
vision participants would somewhat see their photographs under
high-powered magnified glasses. Others have to rely on my description of
photograph, which helps them to recollect their mental picture and relate
it to physical photography. Sometime visually impaired participants
surprise me by pointing almost correctly the position of objects in the
photo print
Our
discussion on the photo print focused more on the conceptual and emotional
aspect of the photographs
Converting
photo prints into tactile photographs was not cost effective option for my
self-funded workshop, but I wanted to explore the use of tactile
photographs while exhibiting the work
Photography
by the blind is not only about pressing the shutter release to proof the
point that visually impaired can take photographs but also about better
understanding themselves while creating art distinct from the ordinary
Photography
enrich their live, foster their reflective thinking, develop their
expressive quality, improves
their self-esteem and self-confidence by doing seemingly impossible task
and help
to change social perception and prejudices about the blind
As
I consciously get deeper into darkness I can see the illuminated new world
of the blind photographer’s Inner Gallery. It made me re-evaluate
my own photographic expression and re-teach myself new ways of seeing
At
times I’m at crossroad, between visible and invisible. I never
blindfolded myself to get into the shoes of a blind photographer, as that
would be surely ‘bad’
pretension. I would never create photographs with the similar
feeling and distinctiveness as that of blind photographer
The
experience of being a blind photographer is something that sighted
photographer would rarely understand. I am fortunate to work with the
visually impaired to let them see in the dark ‘with photography’
and see ‘no impossibility’ in life
My
visual journey will always carry the baggage of both the seen and
the unseen
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