[Leica] IMGS: Children of the World

[nod at bouncing.org (Philip Clarke)]

Tina Manley wrote:
> At 06:19 AM 4/16/2009, you wrote:
>> The whole Live Aid
>> phenomena was based around the principles of teaching a person to fish
>> rather than giving them some food, so showing tearful children as a
>> method of identifying is a backwards step.
>
> The only tearful child I show is a little boy in Honduras about to see
> a doctor at the medical clinics that we provide in rural areas.  We do
> not give them the food rather than teaching them to fish.   As a part
> of every medical clinic, we also have workshops for local health
> promoters.  Doctors, dentists, and ophlamologists teach the health
> promoters basic first aid and nutrition.  They receive the book Where
> There Is No Doctor and medical supplies.  Then they assist the doctors
> in a week-long clinic.  The NGOs that we work with are local grass
> roots agencies that promote self-development, self-sustaining
> agricultural projects, and small businesses.  
but you haven't shown any of this.
> We also work with agencies in the United States who do the same kind
> of work in low income communities.
but you didn't show them.
> I don't know where you are coming from and what you expect to see in
> my photos, but I have been photographing children and families for
> over 30 years.  I love people and love travel and hope that is what
> shows in my photos.  The children in my photos are NOT objects of pity
> and never will be.
But you've failed in your intent, you haven't shown them moving
forwards, you've evoked pity as an emotional response, 30 years, 3
years, doesn't matter, there is no progress or balance to the body of
work. Select another set of images, or put  some others in the series
and it  might work, but as presented it doesn't. Your "love" doesn't
matter if the subject matter is showing how people have built a better
life, then the work fails, if it is to promote unity then it fails.
Technically they come up to scratch but there is only one category that
this body of work really fits into, and I'm far too polite to mention
it. Nope I just re-read the comment about the little finger, the body of
work fits into the "holiday snap".