Comments on: Pentaxploitation: do photography and social change really go together?

By: Nacho

Nacho — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:18:37 +0000

Thanks for the neat entry. I always speak to my students about the ethics of social documentary, and the importance of deep and critical self-reflection for those of us interested in social justice work and social change. That critical self-reflection often goes unaddressed. As an aside, I wrote a short piece on photographing social protests and civic activism that touches a bit on this subject. It is here:

http://www.willamette.edu/~ncordova/protestphoto.pdf

Thanks again!

By: Collective Lens

Collective Lens — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:02:31 +0000

First, thanks for mentioning us and the work we’ve been doing. Like you said, Collective Lens is trying to get as many people as possible to upload photos showcasing all different types of issues around the world. While we would love to engage an audience with our own special photography related project (and have plans to do so), an even more powerful way to engage the world is to ask everyone to participate and contribute. After all, we are but one small group trying to make a difference, but if we all combine our efforts the results will be compounded.

We feel that Kevin Carter should not have been criticized for taking his photo. If global attention is not brought to these important issues, then even more victims would have suffered. While one man can save one child, the power of the mass media can mobilize millions to save millions.

By: Beth Kanter

Beth Kanter — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:09:53 +0000

There are other groups that doing social change and photography really well. One of them is Salaam Garage.
http://tinyurl.com/6549cn

By: Bill Rodman

Bill Rodman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:04:04 +0000

Several recommendations. The case of Kevin Carter and his prize-winning photo is much more complex and ethically ambiguous than the Wikipedia entry on the topic implies. The following BBC report provides greater context and more insight: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A22083301 Carter, BTW, committed suicide a little more than a month after receiving the Pulitzer – he was a deeply troubled man, but perhaps not the predatory vulture that those who know relatively little about his life and times would have him.

Beyond Collective Lens: you *must* check out Photovoice, which sounds very much like the kind of website (and social movement) you have in mind.

http://www.photovoice.org/

From their mission statement:
“At PhotoVoice we encourage the use of documentary photography by enabling those that have traditionally been the subject of such work to become its creator – to have control over how they are perceived by the rest of the world, while simultaneously learning a new skill which can enhance their lives.”