Dignity

[John Kasaian]

An ongoing exercise of mine has been to attempt to capture a representation or illustrative image of a single word in a photograph. The words themselves come as suggestions from various friends (my Lawyer, a distant cousin, the lady who walks her scotty dogs around the block every morning, a dying patient at the hospital, you name it---it is quite an ecclectic group and each one of 'em seems to have a word they'd like to see, or be perhaps amused to see represented in pictorial form.)

Anyway, I have new word: "Dignity." My first thoughts go to the WPA photos taken during the Great Depression, then to Rabbis and the Amish dressed in black, but these have all been done before (and done quite well) and part of the "game" is to come up with something fresh.

Any ideas?

[Rudy Ternbach]

Here's one for a start:

Marian Anderson Singing at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., 1939
Robert S. Scurlock
Gelatin silver print
National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Archives Center
Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994
Image No. 618ns0227139-01

[Gem Singer]

Memorial Day weekend coming up.

Wounded war vets.

Plenty of opportunities there.

[Rudy Ternbach]

I second the notion that many opportunities will present themselves at observances across the country this Memorial Day. As preparation you might google
"MARIAN ANDERSON.1939.LINCOLN MEMORIAL.HISTORY! FILM." for some inspiration.

[Richard M. Coda]

Do you plan on making "new" images, or referencing existing images? I take your project as making new images, but others seem to think otherwise.

If you are making new images, how about homeless shelters, especially in this "new" economy?

And I wouldn't worry about doing something that has been done before by someone else. I think there's too much emphasis on doing something that no one else has done before, usually at the expense of a lot of other, IMHO, more important things. I take a lot of heat for that stance, believe me :)

I am currently working on a project of "inspirations"... using an image from the history of photography (usually a well-known one, or at least an image by a well-known photographer) and putting a modern take on it. See my blog and look at the inspirations posts.

[Steve M Hostetter]

a 1960's Volkswagon van painted with hippy graphiti (Love/Peace/Hope) heading to Woodstock :D

[David Karp]

Any local colleges or universities? There may be some good opportunities at commencement exercises. (And some people acting with a lack of dignity as well! Although I have seen far less of the latter recently.)

Fresno State may be hard. Perhaps try the local community college.

[sun of sand]

You can find dignity anywhere but the places you'd most likely hit up looking for it would likely create pretty uninspired plain insipid photographs
Not sure you can just go visit some place and find dignity -throw darts at -it -stereotypes and impressions
You have to learn people
otherwise it's fake

".how about homeless shelters, especially in this "new" economy"
I have no idea how a fake "new" economy storyline tells of someones dignity
I'd scorn that hard

Dignity isn't being poor or homeless or struggling or wounded or insane or different

[Richard M. Coda]

You can find dignity anywhere

".how about homeless shelters, especially in this "new" economy"
I have no idea how a fake "new" economy storyline tells of someones dignity
I'd scorn that hard

Dignity isn't being poor or homeless or struggling or wounded or insane or different

Huh? There are plenty of people who are poor or homeless or struggling or wounded or insane or different... and plenty of them still have dignity. How dare you...

"Fake" economy? What planet are you living on? It's real and it's here and it's hurting hard-working, honest people... more than I can say for those who caused it. They have no dignity (Madoff comes to mind immediately).

[sun of sand]

I'm saying you cannot walk into some shelter and see 100% dignity around you
You say shelter especially in the "new" economy but how in the world would you find the person hit by the "new" economy without speaking to people and hearing their story but even if you didn't learn their story and instead just put up a sign for these people to come up ..just because someone is in the shelter due to the "new" economy who says that this person displays has great dignity?
Seems you're saying you can just walk into the ghetto and take pictures and be done. DIGNITY
I'm saying there is much more to dignity than being poor, homeless, struggling, wounded, insane, or different
What if Madoff went to war and lost his chin or hand and then proceeded to do whatever he did
Who says Madoff doesn't have dignity? Criminals cannot have dignity? I don't think it's EVEN that easy to strip all dignity from someone
What about all the hard working people who have lost their jobs and maybe even their homes and pets because of the Madoffs ..but then drink away their life and slap their wife around?
They don't fully deserve to have their photo taken for DIGNITY

Being broke or injured due someone elses actions doesn't mean you have great dignity
The person who collapses in front of you on the stairs from a heart attack doesn't have great dignity because of his health issues. You don't gain dignity automatically on your death bed
Those people who have great dignity after losing their job and life savings and ability to walk unassisted ..they very likely had great dignity beforehand


That stuff is cheap and probably more ABOUT you -how you wish to be seen- than for them and for dignity

Take someone you have a hard time giving real respect to and get to know why it is you've been so wrong
Those are real answers and real photographs with real meaning behind em
All that other stuff is 80% assumption

[Brian Vuillemenot]

Huh? There are plenty of people who are poor or homeless or struggling or wounded or insane or different... and plenty of them still have dignity. How dare you...



Hmmm... I'm pretty much all of the above except homeless (at least not yet- knock on wood)- does that mean I'm super-dignified? Some would say I have no dignity at all, which is probably illustrated by my response to this post! ;)