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Response to Martha, in between brain surgeries

from Struan Gray (struan.gray@sljus.lu.se)
I've been wanting to respond in more length to this, but Real Life keeps interfering with my internet surfing and has stopped me getting beyond the factual and easy in my photo.net dabblings.

I'm sure part of the reason I like this so much is that it feels honest. She has that look of chronic worry which, sadly, most of us have at one time or another seen on the faces of friends, relatives or collegues, if not in the mirror. It is a very different look from the usual nerves and awkwardnesses which bubble up when 'real' people are put in front of a camera. There is a clear feeling of genuine angst.

Tom seems to think I was being flippant in my first response, but I was really just answering the question. The film-holder marks and feathered edges says this isn't just a 'straight' presentation of an honest portrait, but is the product of a photographer thinking about how to present an image, and prepared to use props which are mostly appreciated only by other photographers. As such, it is not inappropriate to go beyond the raw empathy stirred up by the photo, and think explicitly about its presentation.

First, this doesn't have to be a portrait of Martha at a particular time of her life. It is strong enough to stand as a depiction of gnawing concern in general, and then the title reduces the potential range of responses of the viewer. I also get an annoying feel that I'm being told how I should respond emotionally, when the image simply doesn't need it.

One of the rewarding things about photography is how different people can love the same image for different reasons, and allowing this one to resonate with those who have seen or experienced this emotion, whatever its cause, would make it more of a universal photo and less of a frozen moment in one specific life. In this line, I don't actually care if Martha is a model - it doesn't detract from the power of the photo.

I also, and this is a personal thing, strongly dislike the way that well-meaning society aids a serious disease in taking over a person's whole life. Catharsis is an undoubted boon, but it's very easy for people to become nothing more than a symbol for an illness. The important thing in this photo for people who don't know Martha is that she is deeply worried, the cause of that worry is secondary.

I hope this doesn't sound callous or snide. Thanks Josh for an image which goes well beyond the ordinary.

(posted 8516 days ago)

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