Exploitation

A question keeps coming to my mind. How do you photograph something that is exploitative without exploiting the person your photographing?

The nature of photography demands that the photographer be in the room, live with the subject. He has to be physically at the place he is photographing (at least with traditional film based documentary photography). How can the photographer be at the location and making an image documenting some kind of injustice (exploitation) without himself exploiting his subject to some degree? Isn't the act of making the photograph also an act of exploitation? Does the end justify the means? If your making a photograph to inform, to educate, to raise awareness, if your making a photograph for the greater good does the end then justify the means?

Tomoko Uemura in her bath by  W. Eugene Smrth

In this great image by W. Eugene Smith he was documenting a birth deffect caused by mercury poisoning, he was educating the veiwer about this trajedy. Was he also exploiting the young girl and her mother? Or does the fact the image speaks to the horror of the birth defects through negligence and the obvious power of a mothers love allow the artist the right to exploit.

Does the creation of a great work of art allow the artist the right to be exploitive? I don't know.

Free Film from Ilford Rep

Got some free film sent to me from a Ilford Rep today, 25 sheets of 8x10 HP5. The film retails at $82 USD plus shipping at Freestyle, can't beat that!

I have about 200 sheets of Tri-x in one deep freeze. I think I have about 100 sheets in another deepfreeze almost enough for the next white background sessions in Asia (wanted at least 400 sheets) I might get some more Tri-x (in those lousy 10 sheet boxes) or go with the HP5+, I am leaning towards topping up my supply of 8x10 film with HP5+.

Ilford seems to care much more for their customers than Kodak does. I get the feeling that Ilford really does want my business where as Kodak is a big faceless corporation that dumps products quickly and without consideration for the people that use and need it.

Quote: Sebastiao Salgado

"If you take a picture of a human that does not make him noble, there is no reason to take this picture. That is my way of seeing things."

Canadian Based Darkroom Supply Store

This store is located in Wiinnipeg.

http://www.darkroomcentral.ca/index.htm

Hong Kong Photographs

Here is a selection of some of first Hong Kong photographs.

British/Chinese Cemetery

On the last day before I left Hong Kong I visited a very photographically beautiful cemetery. This graveyard was the best I have ever shot in, filled with old trees and wonderful old moss covered tombstones. The place was also historically interesting, the graves dated back to the 1850s. I ended up photographing in the British section of the graveyard for about 3 hours until I ran out of film. Darkness set in as I continued to explore the place. I wish I had such a historic and photographic place to shoot as this to shoot near my home!!