Comments on: 10 Stunning Photos by Blind Photographers

By: Mark Andres

Mark Andres — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 22:06:00 +0000

Hi, I am Mark Andres the director of the Seeing with Photography Collective. I would be happy to clear up some issues about our pictures. First off there is only very minor if any post processing done on these photos – my god it would take a ton of work to do these with your eyes and it would me pretty much impossible to make pictures like this in post processing anyhow. They are in fact Light paintings they are created with the body and mind – not the eyes. They are made over a long period of time, anywhere from a couple of minutes to an hour for one photo. They are made by both individuals or groups of photographers working together. It is a great process and we have a wonderful time making these pictures.To see a vast selection of our work go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeingwithphotography/ or seeingwithphotography.com.

By: Kathy Strom

Kathy Strom — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Quote/explanation from the Seeing with Photography Collective website: “Seeing with Photography Collective is a group of photographers based in
New York City who are visually impaired, sighted and totally blind.
Coming from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, we share an
awareness of sight loss, along with the determination to dialogue and
integrate our images into a more universal context. Sighted assistants
focus and compose the view camera’s frame directed by the blind artist.
Then, in a darkened room, we leave the camera’s shutter open as we
slowly paint our sitter with a small flashlight …human scaled
exposures, lasting many minutes, rather than the instant shutter click
we typically hear. Luminous distortions, blurred or glowing forms result
from the technique, not digital altering. The nature of our visual
limitations can provoke any viewer or perceiver of these portraits…Is
less, more? What is seeing? What does one choose to see?”

By: Kathy Strom

Kathy Strom — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:11:00 +0000

By: Dennis Cotty

Dennis Cotty — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:34:00 +0000

“Photos By Blind People” but in your reply Edhallphoto you have corrected this as being incorrect “Camera was focused on the subject by a sighted assistand” so the blind person is not setting up the camera, or composing the shot, or taking the shot these are random images created by luck not through skill by the blind individual so hence this article is very miss leading.

By: Carsten Schlipf

Carsten Schlipf — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:15:00 +0000

Using Google Images I’ve found some sources and a great explanation on how these images are done on this page: http://nothingperipheralasightimpairedartist.blogspot.com/

”
My name is Steven Erra. I am legally blind, or, I like the term sight
impaired – less technical. The more typical “Visually impaired” implies
lack of a VISION.I am also an artist. A visual artist. Yes, I
can see. A very small central area of sight remains when the light is
bright. I have tunnel vision, or Retinitis Pigmentosa. I hate that word.
It’s far too elegant a word for such a devastating, random screw up of
genetics. It is getting worse, slowly. No one with RP notices the change
much over the short term, its so very slow to dissolve ones delicate
retina, a gradual shutting out of the lights. I use a white cane.Why
then do I make visual art? Logical question. I didn’t know that I had a
degenerative eye disease until I was nearly finished getting my Degree
in Fine art at the Parsons School of Design. Painting is a consuming
passion.

I joined a photography class for the blind and sight impaired around
1993, and it was this group of people who eventually started The Seeing
With Photography Collective. Our photography teacher there, Mark Andres
first introduced us to the photographic technique of “light painting”.

As an art group, we’ve been making these works since 1997. Aperture
published a volume of our work in 2002 called “Shooting Blind”. This
light painting resonates with me. You will see many light painting here.

It’s a casual Blog, meant to delve into influences, experiences and reflection more than theory or issues.

I have seen determination ,passion, and such astonishing images created
by the artists I work with. Some are totally blind, and rely on visual
descriptions of the richly nuanced images they have just created. Sight
has this presumed role in photography, and nudging this cozy notion
raises eyebrows.
”

But I agree that proper credit shall be given here.

By: edhallphoto

edhallphoto — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Having had the opportunity to sit in on a session back in 2003, I can say that the black and white images are all paint with light images. At that time a 4×5 camera was focused on the subject by a sighted assistant then the lights were turned off and a the shutter opened. Then the subject is illuminated by moving flashlights or other lightsources rapidly over the subject, outlining and filling in the image.

Looks like several of the images are by Sonia Soberats check the NYT Lens blog for a storie and more photos

By: Archie Campbell

Archie Campbell — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:44:00 +0000

To me they look like slow shutter speeds were used and there is quite a bit of motion blur in them.

I agree though that it would be nice to have a bit more background and some names of who the artists are.

By: Matei Botan

Matei Botan — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:37:00 +0000

i might be mistaking but these look like light paintings to me. so if they are that is really what’s amazing about them – that a blind person made a photo ( and was even the subject in some)

By: Anthony N.

Anthony N. — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:27:00 +0000

To be honest it just looks like really processed photos. However, If the story is that the blind people processed these photos, then I’m really impressed. Otherwise, we’ve seen many cases where a bad photo is made good from post-processing.

By: EpicShots Photo

EpicShots Photo — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 22:58:00 +0000

Would be nice to see them credited for their work. Seeing this left me wanting more…