The power of the photo image

Photography is a powerful artistic medium.  I’ve been waiting for just the right moment to publish on the authority of the photograph.  A recent post by Argot provides the perfect segue into the subject.  ~TAB

CAUTION: Each of these links leads to a powerful emotional experience illustrating the authority of the photographic image. 

Life Before Death
Check out this “sombre series of portraits taken of people before and after they died.  A challenging and poignant study.  The work by German photographer Walter Schels and his partner Beate Lakotta, who recorded interviews with the subjects in their final days, reveals much about dying—and living.”  From the guardian.co.uk via  Argot.

Positive Exposure: The Spirit of Difference
Positive Exposure is a nonprofit organization that takes and displays photos of people with genetic differences in order to celebrate “the beauty and richness of human diversity.  The organization is a unique partnership between visual arts, genetics, mental health and human rights.”  This brochure describes the program and displays beautiful photos of individuals who were born with genetic diseases such as Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Lowe Syndrome, and albinism.  Via the Librarians’ Internet Index. 

Heart Gallery of America® Inc.
Professional Portraits of Children Waiting for Adoption
“The mission of Heart Gallery of America ® Inc. is to facilitate and utilize the power of photography to capture the individuality and dignity of children living in foster care, in order to advocate for their permanency, raise public awareness about their needs, and obtain support to help meet those needs.” This brochure displays photos of New York State’s waiting children.