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Nivedan writes on how to take development photography to a particular target audience in a socially and politically useful way.
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There are many ways to take the photographs of social and political significance to the public. I am certainly not for hanging it in an art gallery. It is nothing but selling poverty and powerlessness for a high price. Even though if the pictures are intended to evoke consciousness in the public, the impact depends upon the time, place, the audience to which it is presented and also the way it is presented.
Art galleries interest the creamy layer as they find something to decorate the walls. They prefer colourful wallpapers or glittering framed wall hangings; they do not care for the implied messages. So when photography on poverty and powerlessness goes to an art gallery, it is nothing but mere art. Whenever we read “Robinson Crusoe”, we romanticize solitude and living with nature, as we usually do with Adivasis. But is there anyone to live like a cast-away? Why not if solitude is blissful and romantic? One puncture in the motorcycle, 10 Km away from a hill station, will make a vacation into an intensive military training; we certainly won’t be romanticizing that. So when it occurs to us, we are not ready to tolerate it. Similarly, the artful photo of poverty certainly does not convey the emotions, the desperate voices and the powerlessness of the subjects. Think of the same from the subject’s point of view. Someone taking my state of despair to decorate a wall is tampering with my dignity and making money out of it. It is totally unethical and uncouth; enough is said. As I have told, the photography magazines are doing the same thing.
So how should I use it in an ethical way? If one wants to reach people through the press, he/she should choose the right newspaper/magazine first. It is better to write photo essays on the own, otherwise, the media may manipulate with stories that are not at all related. Secondly, one has to check for the photo essays. Giving credit to the photographer is also an ethical practice. One need not send the essays or photographs for the media that does not give credits to photographers. Tehelka carries good photo essays. Then one has to trace the ideology of the particular newspaper/magazine. Pro-real estate newspapers that carry out separate sheets for ads for new apartments will not publish something on the problems faced by the construction workers in the construction sites. For example, “The Hindu” covered the issue of farmer’s suicide very well. Photos on this issue may be used very well by them.
If one wants to take the other route, they can contribute their photos to non-profits who are genuinely working to address the issues the photographers who have covered it. It may be useful for the purpose of lobbying or research on the issue. It can also be used to mobilize the people. For example, I have used the photographs to design posters, book covers and documentary film CD covers for NCAS, so that it reaches the right people, who understand or need to understand the issues, like film makers, policy makers, researchers, activists or the people of the affected community. As with writing photo essays, here also, it is better to design the posters as the photographer himself can substantiate with words or slogans in them. So words and visuals will have cohesiveness in a better way. Third parties may distort the picture with their design language with lesser understanding of issues and the target audience.
There are many ways to take the photographs of social and political significance to the public. I am certainly not for hanging it in an art gallery. It is nothing but selling poverty and powerlessness for a high price. Even though if the pictures are intended to evoke consciousness in the public, the impact depends upon the time, place, the audience to which it is presented and also the way it is presented.
Art galleries interest the creamy layer as they find something to decorate the walls. They prefer colourful wallpapers or glittering framed wall hangings; they do not care for the implied messages. So when photography on poverty and powerlessness goes to an art gallery, it is nothing but mere art. Whenever we read “Robinson Crusoe”, we romanticize solitude and living with nature, as we usually do with Adivasis. But is there anyone to live like a cast-away? Why not if solitude is blissful and romantic? One puncture in the motorcycle, 10 Km away from a hill station, will make a vacation into an intensive military training; we certainly won’t be romanticizing that. So when it occurs to us, we are not ready to tolerate it. Similarly, the artful photo of poverty certainly does not convey the emotions, the desperate voices and the powerlessness of the subjects. Think of the same from the subject’s point of view. Someone taking my state of despair to decorate a wall is tampering with my dignity and making money out of it. It is totally unethical and uncouth; enough is said. As I have told, the photography magazines are doing the same thing.
So how should I use it in an ethical way? If one wants to reach people through the press, he/she should choose the right newspaper/magazine first. It is better to write photo essays on the own, otherwise, the media may manipulate with stories that are not at all related. Secondly, one has to check for the photo essays. Giving credit to the photographer is also an ethical practice. One need not send the essays or photographs for the media that does not give credits to photographers. Tehelka carries good photo essays. Then one has to trace the ideology of the particular newspaper/magazine. Pro-real estate newspapers that carry out separate sheets for ads for new apartments will not publish something on the problems faced by the construction workers in the construction sites. For example, “The Hindu” covered the issue of farmer’s suicide very well. Photos on this issue may be used very well by them.
If one wants to take the other route, they can contribute their photos to non-profits who are genuinely working to address the issues the photographers who have covered it. It may be useful for the purpose of lobbying or research on the issue. It can also be used to mobilize the people. For example, I have used the photographs to design posters, book covers and documentary film CD covers for NCAS, so that it reaches the right people, who understand or need to understand the issues, like film makers, policy makers, researchers, activists or the people of the affected community. As with writing photo essays, here also, it is better to design the posters as the photographer himself can substantiate with words or slogans in them. So words and visuals will have cohesiveness in a better way. Third parties may distort the picture with their design language with lesser understanding of issues and the target audience.
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| Some of my designs for NCAS |
Click here to visit www.photoshare.org
So there are innumerable ways to make photographs useful socially and politically. One has to find out the right way to reach to the particular target group. There are ways, all that is required is will.
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About the Author: Nivedan is an intern at National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS), Pune. With self-nurtured knowledge of photography, he experiments with photography and other forms like posters so as to use them as tools for sensitization, advocacy and social transformation.
Contact Nivedan at nivedanmangalesh@yahoo.com
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