PhotoVoice: Sensory photography enables the blind and visually impaired to take pictures
Last updated 07/01/2010 10:43:27
Sensory photography enables the blind and visually impaired to take pictures
Blind and visually impaired adults are being given the chance to create and experience photographs using senses other than sight. Sensory photography techniques are opening up communication for them with the seeing world.
The photographers have used their new skills to share their thoughts and experiences, raise awareness of the social and physical challenges they face, and advocate for action on issues around sight loss and accessibility for the visually impaired.
The UK-based international charity PhotoVoice, in partnership with Mexican NGO Sight of Emotion, has trained blind and visually impaired adults across three countries. Participants learn to use senses other than sight to create images: hearing to judge distance, touch and smell to discover subjects. Once the photograph has been taken, description, textures and sounds are used to achieve interpretation of the image. Although participants cannot see the photograph, they can feel and understand what they want to communicate and use photography to capture and share that moment orexperience with others.
One participant in the UK, Althea, said: "I was happy and excited about taking pictures, but also scared. Normal sighted people don't believe that non-sighted people can take pictures,so I was scared of it not coming out. At that point I wasn't convinced that blind people can take pictures. Now I am convinced that I can."
Another, Li Qi, from China, said: "I've learned to take pictures from listening and I think photography is a combination of my mind and my eyes. Whenever I can't see with my eyes, I'll use my mind to take pictures."
Images taken through workshops held by PhotoVoice at The Organisation of Blind Africans and Caribbeans, have also recently been used at the centre of a campaign to raise awareness of the increased risk of preventable blindness faced by people of African and Caribbean origin.
Posters and postcards havebeen showcased across South London and online through e-postcards. Now work from the Sights Unseen project will be showcased in the Association of Photographers Gallery in London from January 19th to 23rd.
The exhibition will be fully accessible to blind and visually impaired people through the use of audio captioning, tactile diagrams, Braille signage and a tactile trail around the space. A special talk on sensory photography will be held at the AOP Gallery on Thursday 21st January from 6pm – 7.30pm.
More about the UK Charity PhotoVoice
For more information visit www.photovoice.org