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The district hospital - under local anesthesia / pls comment

The district hospital - under local anesthesia / pls comment

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Greg GE


Free Account, Genève (Genf)

The district hospital - under local anesthesia / pls comment

Voilà, this is the last photo of the hospital series. I am a little bit ambivalent about this decision, my reasons are :

- not to expose people when they are the most vulnerable, i.e. when they are sick, esp. people in developing countries.
- not to shock viewers with content that I may find acceptable, but others appalling.
- not to bathe myself in the cliché of "poor locals, great western helpers"
- avoid conflicts between the roles of doctor and photographer.
- lack of artistic quality that cannot be compensated by adding documentary content.

It does bother me to follow this path, because I love my work and sharing my experiences through photography !
Ideally (I do not pretend to do so), existential aspects of disease and healing can be magnified through our lenses.

I do think that these photos can have a positive effect, e.g. remind viewers of the vastness and diversity of our world, of how privileged we are to live where we do and so forth. But - not at the expense of these patients.

What do you think ? I'd be grateful for comments in any language !
I chose a bit more explicit photo in order to attract more attention :-)

Gregory

Commentaire 10

Pour cette photo, Greg GE désire collecter le maximum de commentaires constructifs Aidez-le avec des conseils sur la composition, la technique, le langage iconographique etc. (Veuillez respecter la Netiquette!)
  • noblog 27/01/2019 11:39

    ich finde es gut wie Du Deine wichtige  Arbeit präsentierst.
    Das Foto ist aus einer Perspektive fotografiert. wo die
    Persönlichkeitsrechte des Patienten nicht berührt werden.
    Ich bewundere Leute wie Dich, die Ihren Job, trotz aller möglichen
    Komplikationen bei den OP´s, lieben können.
    LG Norbert
  • Andy-Wood 14/01/2019 20:40

    I suppose in the context of this community the question ought to be is this a good image. If it is presented as a documentary or news image then the question isn’t the artistic one, but more the story and motivation.
    • Greg GE 29/01/2019 22:50

      You are right to distinguish between the artistic quality of an image and its narrative quality, even if both are interrelated. From the beginning on, I have always wanted to tell stories on FC and show my photos in a specific order (not being able to sort them hinders me from switching from one theme to the next until I am done with one series, which annoys me). Just as you have it in your portfolio.
      And you are right to ask about the motivation. Food for thought !
      Cheers, Greg
  • Rpix 12/01/2019 14:52

    First and most imporotantly I think you need everybody's explicit consent who is in the picture. The next group of people concerned are the viewers. I don't see how the hospital pictures you have presented so far can be too shocking. So, morally speaking, to my mind there is no problem whatsoever.
       By the way, this is a great picture. Just the hook in the upper corner might give some people a funny feeling. ;-)
     Cheers
        Rolf
    • Greg GE 12/01/2019 16:53

      Thank you so much Rolf, you raise a good point, that I didn't mention. The hook also struck me (!!) - it is not from a butcher, but a hook for perfusion bags (Infusionsständer) :-)
  • aorta-besler 12/01/2019 12:37

    Deine gekonnte Arbeit vermittelt Hochachtung für diese Menschen. Ich bin begeistert und finde Emotionen mit einem Bild zu transportieren wichtig. Die Dosierung besitzt das richtig Maß.
  • Jajaouterspace 12/01/2019 11:33

    Dont stop your beautiful documentaries Gregory. I love the pureness of your photography and the strong expression.

    While we have poverty and diversity is in our neighbourhood too, I understand your intent. The world has no balance. We have the rich, the poor and the exhausted hard working people. I think no one on Earth is privileged. We all have to pay a price.

    But do not stop your art. You show natural people and environments....
    • Greg GE 12/01/2019 17:09

      Thank you, Jana. Yes, the human condition is universal. And probably, it is not necessary to travel far to illustrate it ! And sometimes I wonder, why I rarely post photos from home.. why travel >1000k to shoot photos ? And I guess it is because the scenery of my hometown bores me and I find far away places so much more inspiring. And who knows, maybe there is indirectly a bit of Brecht's "distancing effect" (Verfremdungseffekt)... 
      Have a nice day, Jana. Gregory