Capturing Dinosaurs and Whales, Without Seeing Them

From the New York Times: Capturing Dinosaurs and Whales, Without Seeing Them

At the American Museum of Natural History on Tuesday, Hashim Kirkland lowered his camera a bit to see the ancient brown spine of a dinosaur through the murky glass catwalk below him. He clicked and then raised the camera again to capture the massive hip of an Apatosaurus, a long-necked plant eater.

“I’ve been fascinated by dinosaurs since I was a kid,” Mr. Kirkland said. “They’re so amazing and so big.”

But unlike most of the people in the hall clicking their shutters and gawking at the prehistoric beasts, Mr. Kirkland could not see the hulking skeletons clearly because he’s legally blind.

He was part of a group of nine blind photographers who visited the museum on a photography class field trip, offered through Visions, an organization based in Manhattan that provides services for the visually impaired. For many of the photographers, the class was an exciting new way to participate in the world and produce a creative product.

“I just love taking pictures and hearing people’s feedback, hearing their reactions to the photos,” Mr. Kirkland, 29, said. “But I’m also my own worst critic, so I’m never satisfied with what I do.”

The class tends to create intricate staged photographs and not the point-and-shoot type of photography common in places like the Museum of Natural History; it’s challenging for instructors to explain exhibits in a meaningful way to their students.

The group that visited the museum included some photographers who are legally blind but still have some vision and others who cannot see anything at all. Some were born blind, and others became visually impaired later in life.

“It’s nearly impossible to explain vision to someone who’s never seen,” said Mark Andres, who runs a photography class at Visions.“There’s no language to explain things like light direction.”

To sidestep these challenges, Mr. Andres said that the students staged their photos in class, usually based on memories from their childhood, while still creating vibrant images. In class, one student, Victorine Floyd-Fludd, recalled a childhood memory in which she rode a flimsy raft in the ocean that then flipped over. One of her classmates sat atop a table while everyone else waved a blue tarp and looped blue light to create the illusion of a dynamic sea.

Once the image is produced, instructors will describe it to the photographer, and if they don’t like what they hear, they’ll reshoot the scene.

“They’re not capturing reality,” said Betsy Fabricant, a senior administrator at Visions. “They’re capturing a feeling in someone’s mind.”

When they can, the photographers use aural cues to line up their shots. Before the tour, Mr. Andres showed Evelyn Larson how to put a camera to her forehead and point her head in the direction of something she’s interested in.

“And when you feel that you’re ready, just press the button,” he said.

But this method can be challenging in museums, where the subjects are encased in glass and mute, giving the photographers few, if any, cues as to their makeup.

The group’s movement through the museum was slow and deliberate as each person helped the others experience the exhibits. Those with better sight helped guide those who could not see. Others would grasp the arms of instructors who used physical cues to describe the dioramas.

In the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, Mr. Andres walked with three students, their arms hooked in his, around the looming replica of a blue whale overhead.

“The whale is swimming right above us,” he said. “We’re walking up the belly of the whale. We’re at its flippers. We’re at its tail and it’s way up in the sky, now.”

“What does it look like?” Dale Layne asked.

Mr. Andres took both of his hands and guided them through the air in two converging arcs.

Then Mr. Layne understood. “Oh, like wings.”