I’ll rather stare at a single photograph that has the depth to make me cry, than an entire portfolio of random poses that bore me to death. That being the difference of quality over quantity. – Filmalter
Another PhotoQuotes.com quote that sums up how I felt this afternoon.
Today I went to see a documentary photo exhibit at the UBC Bookstore called “Along the Way”. It was created by Light and Love Home, a charity dedicated to providing education, shelter, food and safe spaces in various locations around the world. The woman who created these amazing works of art is actually an amateur photographer who volunteers with the charity. I’m so incredibly impressed by her skill in capturing such a depth of feeling and need in her subject matter.
Advertisement for the "Along the Way" exhibit
I’m not joking about photography making me cry. The above photo was the first one I saw at the exhibit. The caption said that these 3 kids were abandoned at a Nepalese brick factory by their father after their mother died. Underneath was a new photo, taken a year later, of the same girl now smiling and healthy. She and her brothers live at an orphanage sponsored by Light and Love Home. A volunteer came up to me to ask if I had any questions, and I actually choked up and started crying. Thank goodness Alison (we introduced ourselves afterward) was patient because it took me some time to recover my composure. I did not expect that at all. Something in that diptych struck a chord in me; it still does. I can feel the tears welling up while I write this.
If you’re in the Vancouver area, I highly suggest you take a trip out to UBC to see these photos. Yes, it’s a bit of a trek just to see about 14 photos, but it was such a powerful experience for me. The exhibit is just outside the UBC Bookstore for the rest of this week from 10 AM to 4PM
Hi there,
I am one of the volunteers for this exhibition and I would like to thank you so much for the feedback. It is very encouraging! Though we only showed a small portion of our 40 pictures, and the weather was harsh for us as we held it outdoors, we are very encouraged that it has touched your heart. Thanks again for your encouraging and sincere feedback. Hope that more people can feel what you feel. We hope to share more pictures and stories/presentation at Irving Barber Learning Center in October. We will also have a slide show on the TV screen there. If interested in the dates, please look for details soon at http://www.loveyourneighbourclub.org for UBC. Feel free also to email me for further details.