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What is humanistic photography?
Humanistic photography explores the full range of human emotions from a spiritual perspective. It can be characterized as a form of theology.
Please elaborate on this theology.
The world is in need of affirmation. At the very heart of our humanity is the challenge of unconditional love, which is to suspend judgment and open fully to the vivid reality of another human. Unconditional love does not know barriers; it says yes, it affirms the moment, even if it is full of sadness and grief.
There is a biblical mandate called tikkun olam–which in Hebrew means "to complete or repair the world" –based on the notion that from the time of creation, humans are handed an unfinished world, and it is their task to mend it with good deeds. This along with tikkun halev, a corresponding mandate "to heal our hearts" are the essence of my work. Humanistic photography reflects on the generosity of the universe, the countless deeds of social action, the care healing practitioners provide, the spirit of volunteerism, and the goodness of strangers. It offers a world being actively repaired with heart.
The word "humankind" begins with "human" and ends with "kind." I like to believe that the essence of our humanity is the noble trait of kindness.
What are the photographs meant to do?
Photographs made with heart awaken us, reminding us of our true nature, and of the work that remains to be done. Collectively, the photographs form a plea for understanding, for tolerance, for compassion. They can also be viewed as fragments of a mosaic, a mosaic that mirrors the very heart of life.
How do you define heart?
Heart Is that part in us that is most tender and open to the world, that place where we let others in and feel moved by them.
Making a photograph is as close to being alive and creating new life as one can get. The photographer is anchored in feelings, the heart beats anxiously, or is quiet beyond measure, and in a split second the camera's shutter is released–a moment is lifted, forever set apart from all others–which is then offered to the viewer.
Why do you say "offered" to the viewer?
We have become a nation of voyeurs, where personal privacy is traded for public display. The American public has an insatiable craving to peer into other people's lives. This is evidenced by the popularity of "reality television" and the tabloids. Photographers have become accustomed to intruding on the personal space of others, and "stealing" private moments, and in turn, society rewards them for this behavior. This distorted dynamic contradict my beliefs.
People's feelings must be made more important than the taking of pictures. In thinking this way, photographers will gain invaluable trust that will yield them more substantive moments. The very best photographs are those that were freely given by the subject. When they are freely given, they become offerings.
How does society reward photographers for "stealing the moment"?
Substantial monetary fees are paid by publishers to photographers who successfully stalk a celebrity's private life. This practice of violating personal space is also assumed by highly regarded photo-journalists. An example is the often published photo of Ethel Kennedy, taken in 1968, who is shown kneeling on the floor next to her husband, Robert, right after he was assassinated. The photograph shows Ethel, holding her husband's head with one hand, while the other hand is in the air, trying to block the photographer from intruding any further on her grief. The photographer took the photo anyway–the image was composed through the spaces between her open fingers.
I wonder what kind of image that photographer would have made, if he put his camera down for a moment, assisted Ethel in some way, and then, if appropriate, looked into her eyes with compassion for nonverbal permission to record the moment?
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