January 3rd, 2010 by Magdeline Lum
My Help-Portrait Book Stance
Previously I wrote about taking part in Help-Portrait which in nutshell is a worldwide movement of photographers taking portraits of people and giving them away at no cost and with no strings attached on the condition that the photographs were to never be published. So when I heard about the announcement that a book was going to published of the photographs taken on the day, I did not jump for joy. I felt anger and disgust.
While it is a noble idea to collect the photographs into a book to sell to raise funds for 2010’s Help-Portrait event, it creates liars out of the photographers, make-up artists and assistants on the day. Imagine approaching people and trying to explain that you now want their permission to have their photo published in a coffee table book to be sold worldwide. A book that they would most likely never see, read or even care about. I cannot do this with a clean conscience. To them, I am going back on the promise that their portraits would never be published by me or anyone.
Worse still, I’m allowing someone else to profit from them. That’s what I became angry about. So what if I get my name credited on the photo amongst hundreds of thousands? So what if I get a photo of mine published? Whoopee, lets break out the champagne and have a parade to celebrate making a profit from those less fortunate and from those who wish to live a private life away from the publicity. I’m not that kind of person.
So yes, I took to twitter and facebook to let Jeremy Cowart and his team know that I did not want a part of this and that I was against making any profit from Help-Portrait. I found that I was not alone in being against the idea of a book.
In the height of my angry statements I did label Jeremy Cowart a liar and questioned his original intentions of Help-Portrait which can be seen here on twitter. And from Jeremy, I got a reply, most unexpected but I got one which can be seen here from his twitter account. I was most delighted to hear that the idea of the book has been put to rest. At least, for now.
I came away from Help-Portrait with trust earned from the people I photographed on the 12th of December. I did not know that I had it until days after the event. People have come up to me and thanked me for their portraits. One gentleman says hello to me every time he sees me wandering through the city streets looking for a photographic opportunity and it is always a pleasure to speak with him. This may not sound much to anyone else but it is something I hold more importance in than a coffee table book. And I will do my utmost to keep it.
I have nothing against wanting to bring awareness to people less fortunate whether it be the issue of homelessness, domestic violence, rape, abject poverty, and mental illness, just to name a few. So far in what I have seen and experienced in almost three decades on this planet, awareness has not provided a warm meal, roof over heads or even a sense of belonging for people. Awareness has not provided answers. People can be as aware as they like about issues but it’s about time people started doing something practical for those who are in need of help.
If in the future, a book is to be created, I would like to see emphasis on the experience that photographers had in participation than photos presented prettily in a book. The organisation of model releases well before the event would be required, not only to allow photographers to organise events but also to allow relationships to occur between the subject and the photographer. Due to the nature of the event, photographs summarising the day or a chain of events on the day should be allowed in the case where portraits are not obtainable. Funds raised from the sale of the book should be returned to organisations that work with people in need, not to fund the next Help-Portrait event.
I will be reading the conditions of Help-Portrait 2010 before deciding whether I want to create an event under their auspices or to go it alone.
PS: I hadn’t expected the first post for 2010 to be so forthright and angry but this is important and I’m making my position known.
6:23 pm on January 4th, 2010
Excellent post. I did not participate in the HP project b/c I was ill for over a week when it came up. However, it seemed like a kind and honest project. So when I heard about the book, I was disgusted as well. I immediately thought about the women who have been through hell in their lives now having their photo published and being betrayed. Photographers have to be honest with themselves. They know damn well that a coffee table book is not going to change anything for most homeless/abused people. You illustrated that point well with this part of your blog:
[So far in what I have seen and experienced in almost three decades on this planet, awareness has not provided a warm meal, roof over heads or even a sense of belonging for people. Awareness has not provided answers. People can be as aware as they like about issues but it’s about time people started doing something practical for those who are in need of help.]
All I saw was a famous photographer with an idea of how to become more famous. If he said his own staff was hesitant then that should have been signal enough not to proceed with announcing it to the greater public. However, even when we are truly good people at heart, we can become blind for a second…we’re all human and we make that mistake. So many people get notoriety at the expense of someone less fortunate and through their need to spread “awareness.” What awareness are we providing though? Is there anyone truly unaware of homelessness, poverty and domestic violence? Still, I am glad he was big about it and apologized. I am sure he feels terrible about this blunder.
I think 2010 has to be the year to turn awareness into action. Maybe what we have to do is take our photographers’ hats off…don’t photograph these people…help feed them, clothe them, teach them how to read if they cannot and donate $. I think some of the best feeling I have had was donating $ especially because I have very little of it. LOL. When you give when you really cannot afford it, I believe that is when it is truly blessed. Just because we are photographers doesn’t mean that photography has to be our way to give.
Great blog post, thanks for sharing.
11:02 pm on January 4th, 2010
Great post and good on you for sticking to your beliefs and values. You have my utmost respect.
9:05 am on January 5th, 2010
Thanks guys. Your support on this means a great deal to me. I’m not able to verbalise how much.
I honestly do think that Jeremy Cowart was sincere in his apology which can be read here.
As Trudy has stated, photography isn’t the only way that a photographer can give. I often empty my wallet of loose change into the tins of charities collecting money without realising that I need that loose change to fill a hungry parking meter. That is a small insignificant concern compared to worrying about where the next meal will come from, if at all.
During 2009, I became involved in projects donating my time and skills to give back to the community. In 2010, I am continuing this by actively dedicating time in my schedule to allow for this.
12:52 am on January 13th, 2010
This popped up in my “Google Alerts” notifications. That’s how I found it. I can’t reiterate enough that our teams intentions are nothing but great. Once again, our explanation of the book was very sloppy and clumsy. We left lots of gaps and have completely understood the negative feedback. We’re excited to move forward in 2010 and hopefully have an even bigger impact on the communities around us. And yes, we completely let the book idea go for now. If it needs to happen one day, we’ll figure it out. For now we’re going to focus on the website as the place to share stories (from the photographers perspectives and NO photos of course.) Anyway, your input is always valued and we hope you will return with us next year!
jeremy
1:14 am on January 13th, 2010
Hi Jeremy,
Currently I am putting together a project for 2010. I know it’s only January but I know I’ve got a bit of groundwork to do at the moment. All I can say is that it will be pretty awesome if it all works out.
If there is a book one day, I hope in some way it can bring meaning to the very people who made it possible. I’m not talking about the photographers or make up artists.
1:55 am on January 13th, 2010
Magdeline,
The great thing about your post for me is the freedom with with you express your feeling and point of view. You seem to hold nothing back, so it stands forever as a fine example of a person communicating their stand without fear or favour. Thank you for it.
From a long way away over in south Ireland, not knowing you at all, I find it difficult to understand your style. I’d need to know you better to know whether you always adopt combative language, or whether this is a special case.
I too feel passionate about Help-Portrait and its authenticity, its “heart & soul”. I saw some difficult issues around the book. However, I’d come to trust Jeremy Cowart, and I know he was an honest decent person, at least as fine a character as myself. So far removed from the cut and thrust of the local community, I resolved to go with the flow. If I’d been in Nashville, or probably anywhere in USA I’d have weighed in with my view.
You make a great point I think when you extol the virtue of photographs taken around the event. They’re the shots I most wanted to see because they documented the experience.
There is I think a role for a coffee table book. It could be a thing of beauty in itself. This is a historic or history making movement and it deserves such an artifact surely.
I have a good lot of experience of practising the skill of cutting people down to size. Jeremy Cowart is someone I feel deserves to be honoured for not only having the idea but also the commitment and skill to catalyze it into being. If only I had achieved half as much with my good ideas.
There is noone so tough that they can take everything on the chin. Jeremy would never plead this but I ask all who read your words to be careful with the way they express themselves because there is no guarantee that there will always be a Jeremy to lead us.
We footsoldiers of the Help-Portrait movement are vital. We do things locally and we depend on leadership we love and feel trust in. The challenge that the book idea offered us all has surely made us all aware of how much we have adopted Help-Portrait as our own. The controversy has strengthened the movement in ways that won’t become clear until much later, I’d say.
Imagine strangers linked in an enterprise across so many seas. Written with great fondness,
@omaniblog
2:09 am on January 13th, 2010
Oh, also for Trudy’s comments above, almost every Help-Portrait event that I’m aware of, we DID provide food… even clothes. Heck sometimes roses. The idea is to way above and beyond photography and bless them as much as possible. Photography is just the catalyst for loving.
9:48 am on January 13th, 2010
Paul,
I’ll be honest. I’m an opinionated individual and in instances where I do feel strongly about an issue, I hold very little back. I’ve re-read my post and I wouldn’t change a word. I know it is critical, and scathing at particular points. However, I saw it as my responsibility as a person to honour the agreement that I had made with the people I photographed. I had told them that their photographs were never to be published and I intend to see that through. I am not a person to renege promises.
The other issue I had with the idea of the book was also that the model releases required for the book were not organised before the event. To go up to people after the event and approach them with a model release to sign is best described as messy and disorganised. Besides appearing like a photographer that had tricked someone into having a photograph taken, there is the very possibility of someone feeling coerced into signing the model release. Furthermore, I photographed people whose natural instinct is to shy away from cameras for a myriad of reasons. I am definitely not going to betray the trust earned from this group, nor anyone else I photographed. There is nothing to be gained from profiteering from those less fortunate.
For those reasons, I did not stay quiet. I couldn’t. I was not going to be silent.
What Help-Portrait has achieved is immeasurable and it wouldn’t be possible without Jeremy Cowart. I do agree that he shows great leadership with this project, even moreso after admitting that the book was not a good idea and taking sole responsibility. You don’t see that often these days. You especially don’t see an apology with continued leadership. However great a person is, and no matter who they are, it doesn’t mean that they’re immune from criticism. I did not like the direction of where Help-Portrait was heading and spoke up.
From what I saw on twitter, facebook and e-mails, far harsher sentiments were expressed than what I wrote in my post. My post expressed my opinions and I was honest about what I had said of Jeremy. My post was not an attack on Jeremy. It was an attack on the concept of the book, Jeremy’s idea.
Even though a coffee table book would be filled with beautiful images that would be inspiring, that was not my priority. My priority was to keep my word and to protect the relationships I made with people on the day of Help-Portrait.
5:08 pm on January 14th, 2010
I am not a photographer – though I take pictures. I know several of you through Twitter and followed the help_portrait with great interest. My biggest disappointment (in one way) was that I was only a few yards away from Mags at the Perth Markets when she was doing her work. But I was participating in another event The Walk Against Walking. I have read Jeremy’s posts and subsequent apologies. I count Paul as a great friend. I agree with Mags. The trust that is the absolute foundation upon which this project is based must not be put at risk. For once, let the experience itself be its own life. It needs no more permanent record of the subjects than that. I also know you both to be individuals of strong character and ethics. I honour you both for that. We simply need to revisit the original premise upon which the project was conceived and brought to life: with love and compassion for others. There it must stay.