Forbidden Portraits

CHARLES    Photo: © Stan Banos

I've been working with adults with disabilities for some time now and a few years ago I proposed to take some portraits of our clients at the non profit where I work. My idea was to take the photos, for which I would pay all costs, and the resulting images could then be used by the organization I work for in any manner they so chose (should they choose to) and at no cost to them. The clients would get a copy, and I would retain ownership of the images. The project was approved in writing.

I'm not a fan of the compressed perspective offered by the usual formula of short teles for portraits, I didn't even like my test shots using the 50mm "normal" perspective for the waist up shots I was contemplating, although I also realized that anything shorter (35mm) would introduce WA distortion. I was stumped, and it wasn't until the required research that I discovered the 40mm Ultron- which I had never tried, never even knew existed, but strongly suspected was exactly what I needed. It took me several months to save up for that lens on my non-profit salary. And when finally purchased, eureka- exactly the look I wanted!

DAVID   Photo: © Stan Banos

I quickly renewed said project and was quite pleased with the early results, I also proceeded to advise my new boss of said project as a simple courtesy. Mistake- Bigly! As I stood there explaining and showing him my written permission on official organization stationery (along with the specifically written photo releases) he quickly informed me that taking photos of clients was strictly against policy (even though client photos are routinely taken on and off the premises- without releases). I stood there dumbfounded, Kafka himself could not have slapped me any harder upside the head. Protest was futile, he never even pretended to explain just what organizational guideline had changed or been violated- it was obviously his command decision.

Years passed, we got a new boss, and when a call went out for a client/staff art show I decided to finally order a few prints of what I had shot back in the day. Ironically, they were placed right outside what would have been the office of our former boss. No current organization official knew the back story, no one objected- compliments were received. Apparently, they no longer "violate policy," as if they ever did.

This is not an "all well that ends well" story- it doesn't.  Instead of a substantial body of work that might have had legs, I ended up with a small handful of portraits. I'm not foolish enough to think I would have produced any new, novel or insightful way to present people with disabilities, but I was reacting to how these individuals were first presented years gone by as objects of sympathy or pity- a viewpoint which has now swung to the far other extreme where they are currently depicted conquering each and every one of life's challenges with a happy go lucky, easy-peasy, what-me-worry grin on their face. Neither is accurate nor truthful in any sense- not that mine are any more so, just minus the commercial agenda. 

Regardless, I am very thankful to those who did participate in a project that was essentially sabotaged for no good reason. Admittedly, the thought has occurred to restart it... although I'm not presently shooting film and more importantly, presently lack the necessary motivation. It may one day come to pass, but more time will yet need to pass...

MELVIN    Photo: © Stan Banos