Well the project is almost finished. I have had several edit sessions and the book have now come together quite nicely. I am happy with it but i think i could have with more time and better connections done a more comprehensive project. It has been extremely difficult finding suitable subjects and then getting access to them. I thought the people who would really bend over backwards “China Disabled Sports Association” actually made little attempts to help me. Likewise local associations have not been willing to assist me in contacting people who I’m sure would have loved to be part of the project. Everyone I photographed was very happy that a western photographer was interested in their lives and was trying to showcase blind and visual impaired people in China. I think that given more time then I could have really spent more time with each person showing them at home, in work, with colleagues and get a much more comprehensive look at each person. However not being Chinese and having a language issue was a huge problem during the whole project. I managed at all times to have a translator so i could get the necessary background information and get enough of an idea of what kind of person they are to make the project work.
So here is the book in all its PDF glory. The images might not be really crisp as I have had to really compress it to make small enough for a small download.
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December 14th, 2008
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Ok here are some of the photos from the Li Duan shoot. Time has been really tight. I flew back from Shenzhen straight to Beijing to photography Yu Yu the albino erhu player for two days and then came back to Beijing. The following day i had to head up to Shenyang where Li Duan let me into his house to photography him right before i had to rush back to Dalian for the final book edits with Dirck and Robert Pledge. I’m tired and a little stressed but very happy that I got another two people for the book. Well here is some of the edit from the Li Duan shoot.
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December 12th, 2008
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November 26th
Finally some good news the musician has finally panned out. I have made contact with and planned a photo shoot with the Disabled troupe who did agree to a photo shoot a while back but have been on tour in Japan for the past 6 weeks. Good to their word they have got in contact and are actually going to provide me with a translator. Finally some one who sees the light someone who gets the project. I look forward to going to a place who is actively trying to help me with this project and hope that i can do them justice. There are lots of people and i have to try and pick the correct person without making all the rest of the troupe feel left out.
December 1st
Well in the nick of time I got it done. I managed to photograph the blind troupe and an albino erhu player who is visually impaired and then Li Duan also came good. So I got another two people for the book. I think I have just enough having Yang Jia the Un assembly member would have been good but she was too busy and also another desk worker in the office would i think not have added much to the book but there are lots of things i would do different. Now i just have to put it all together and hope for the best.
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December 12th, 2008
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November 18th
Well I met with DJ today and everything went OK i think Some work to do on my essay to get it up to scratch and I think also there is some worries that I haven’t been able to get all my shooting done in the time. Well a bit worried as heading off on a trip with friends and hoping to get some shooting done on the way. Still no word from Yang Jia the UN assembly member or any of the athletes. The piano teacher worked out nicely I have some nice stuff but I need more people. I just hope i can get it all done.
November 19th
Beijing I had planned to photograph Yang Jia and she today answered the phone for the first time and despite her interests is very busy at the moment. I asked her if she could help and although positive would not commit or even worse give me any help in contacting people that I had been hoping that would take part. Oh i hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. I really don’t.
November 21st
Well i showed my first edit of photos to people today. The edit is here
Overall the feedback was good. They all liked the images although some more than others. Some wanted to get a more traditional essay out of it with wide shots and mixed up with tight shots. I wanted to do something a bit more different with the work though make it almost tactile with details and give it a slight twist almost photographing what the blind person feels or how they feel the environment around them and work. I think it works quite well but i think I really do need to make sure that i can get these few more people. Which is a worry to say the least.
November 23d
Final edit session with Huang Wen and she seemed to like the stuff about as much as anybody which is good i really do think the emotional part of the project does play better with women than men. Anyway enough of the psychological nonsense. I did a quick layout for Wen with the rough idea of the book. Each person has a section with a little quote, a small portrait and then a little bio piece. I think it works quite well and with the text you don’t have to read it to understand the story but if you want more detail its there but it isn’t too text heavy. I’m happy with the layout i think 6-7 images per person to give a glimpse into their working life and to give people hope and to challenge the way in which we see blind and visually impaired people.
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December 12th, 2008
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November 13th
Well the piano teacher worked out well. I photographed him in school teaching and then also at school but like everyone else was not really that comfortable to be photographed at home or outside his work place. I just hope that I will have enough for the book. I think the whole concept will work IF I get the images and the people to cooperate. Yang Jia was again not available. I mean for someone who said she was interested in the project i wish she would just pick up the phone. I’ll be back in Beijing in a few days and I hope to god she is available.
November 15th
Still nothing from Yang Jia and I will have to head back to Dalian tomorrow. At least I will be coming back soon. The edit session are getting close less than a couple of weeks and I have friends coming out to visit oh man its going to be tight. Please please let this all work out.
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December 12th, 2008
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Journal,
November 10th
Well as expected things have not gone to plan. The Chinese Disabled Sports Association although very much interested in the project have fumbled around and not helped me one bit. Each time i call them they tell me again to write them a letter explaining who I am and what I’m doing. It has become a constant struggle to try and get any kind of contact detail for any of my subjects. It has been a case of banging my head against a brick wall. I have wanted to photograph an athlete since the project began.
I have been in contact with Li Duan who is based in Liaoning which is a bonus but he lives in a compound that is owned by the Chinese Army and this has proven very problematic. Add to this that he has been away traveling for a few months I’m beginning to wonder with this will ever happen. At least he has kept in constant communication and still sounds very positive on the phone. I hope this will work out.
Wu Chunmiao the athlete from Qingdao has also been problematic. The Disabled Association in Qingdao have made positive noises but are still reluctant to help. I never thought this project would be so difficult I’m trying to portray these people in a different light and after the Paralympics i thought everyone would jump at the chance of some interest by an international photographer. I’m not so hopeful about this one but as always I’ll try and keep positive.
Qing Xie the swimmer in Beijing has also been difficult. Although I had seen on the Christian Blind Mission that a westerner had been photographed and interviewed her. So i thought that it is at least possible.
Yang Jia, member of the UN Disabilities body and deputy of China’s Blind Association has been very positive about the project and I hope can possibly be part of the project and hope to gain the project some much needed guanxi!
Still at least there was some good news, Jing Ling the girl who helped me translate at the One Plus One studio has put me in touch with a blind piano teacher which i think might be really good. I just hope that this does actually come through as I’m going to Beijing so i hope ti all works out and I can get something as i must admit that I’m getting a little worried that this project with all fall through.
I think I need to photograph at least three more people and time is beginning to run out.
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December 12th, 2008
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Professor Yang Jia has been elected to the UN Disabilites body. I have contacted her and I’m trying to photograph her and also use her contacts at China Association for the Blind to photograph more paralympians next week in Beijing. This week has been very frustrating as I have had so many false starts and people making it dificult for me to photograph blind people. Heading to Beijing where hopefully i can wrap up all the shooting.
I hope to photograph Yang Jia a professor and also member of the UN Disabilties body
Wu Chunmiao a gold winning paralympic athlete
And Qing Xie a blind paralympic swimmer
I hope that there will be no problems in getting access. I have contacted all of them and so far so good but you never know what might happen
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November 7th, 2008
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Zheng Longhua, a photographer with no hands has been working in China for almost 3 decades. His recent project looks to change peoples opinions and the way people view disabled people in China. His project aimed to change peoples perceptions before the Olympic and Paralympic games. He photographed 100 people over a three year period showcasing their talents and achievements. The project is very similiar to what I am trying to achieve . He has obviously had the luxury of time and has no language barriers to overcome but our intentions are the same, to try and change the way disable people are perceived.
I have contacted Zheng Longhua and hope to photograph some of the blind subjects in his project. Although I really like the project it would be impossible for me to recreate this so instead i have focused more on trying to look into a fwew people’s professional lives in my project.
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October 31st, 2008
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An interesting article that really looks at the issues that I’m trying to adsress blind in the workplace. Surprising figures that 70& of blind people are unemployed. I will try and find figures for China but I imagine that the stats may not be reliable. I think also the Chinese blind have much more economic pressures on them and are pretty much forced into employment as their is very little or no welfare support for them.
Whilst I don’t agree at all that there should be little or no welfare i think being forced into employment is not necessarily the worst thing. All the subjects i have talked to have said their job is the most important thing to them after family and friends. It provides them with money to live but also a sense of independence and achievement, pride and gives them a purpose and structure to their life.
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October 31st, 2008
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Wednesday 22nd
Harbin and Bi Qiang. It has taken me over a month to organise a photo shoot and i hope that i can do him justice. An amazing man who has built up a business of 124 pharmacies whilst being blind.
He is very busy so i was under pressure. It went well and i had the help of a really good fixer. Thanks Lin Lin. The images turned out well i just hope that i have enough as it took me long enough to get a couple hours of his time. Harbin was also a slight shock to the system. It reminded me of my first trip to China and it made me think how China has developed but only in certain areas. Harbin made me glad that i was in Dalian and just how lucky i am to be in a modern city.
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October 29th, 2008
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