Sometimes what you see in front of the camera strikes a chord and you want to do more than just bear witness. Three professional photographers did just that and were recognized by the Imaging Alliance at the annual Saluting Photographers Who Give Back event earlier this month.
Brooke Shaden, Stephanie Sinclair, and Jerry Ghionis all come from different photography backgrounds, but they have something in common. They ended up on similar paths to helping some of the most vulnerable in society: survivors of human trafficking, girls forced into marriages at a very early age, and orphans around the world.
Empowerment through self-expression:
For Brooke Shaden, self-expression through photography is a part of her life. As a fine art photographer, Shaden found that by literally immersing herself in her work, she was able to affect those around her.
“I took this idea that we can create anything, we can put ourselves in the image as the main character and tell our story that is so beautifully our own that it resonates with someone else,” she said.
Having attained critical acclaim in her professional career, Shaden needed a platform to make a difference by inspiring others to create and share. That’s when an opportunity presented itself. She was invited to teach a photography workshop to survivors of human trafficking in India, a subject she knew little about at the time. She embraced the experience, but wondered, “Why me? How am I qualified?”
But she was. A series of workshops led to the creation of The Light Space, an organization with a mission to teach photography as a tool for vocational training and self-empowerment, helping the victims of gender-based violence to rediscover themselves and improve their life.
“The goal is to encourage anybody to share their stories,” said Shaden. “The simple act of sharing your story inspires others to share theirs as well.”
What Shaden realized along the way was that by giving back to the survivors, she was not only teaching them how to use a camera, but how to bring love and joy through the power of imaging and self-expression.
“Their stories wouldn’t have been possible were they not given that simple tool,” said Shaden. “I don’t mean the camera. I mean the tool of understanding that you yourself are a character that is worthy of being told into a story.”
Visual stories facilitate change:
Stephanie Sinclair has traveled to over 65 countries as a photojournalist, documenting visual stories from the Middle East to South Asia. In 2003, while covering a story in Afghanistan, she witnessed the effect child marriage had on young girls, their families, and the community.
Child marriage occurs in over 50 countries worldwide. “A young girl is married every two seconds,” said Sinclair. She felt that having just one photographic story from Afghanistan was not enough to highlight the problem. So she made it her mission to shed light on the issue and to try and end the practice.
In 2012, after years of using the power of storytelling to raise awareness, Sinclair founded an organization called Too Young to Wed, with the goal to end child marriage and protect women’s rights. “What I learned in my travels was how lucky I was,” says Sinclair. “I was also able to see all over the world that the girls are still fighting very hard for their rights.”
Progress is being made thanks to Sinclair’s dedication to the cause. These issues are getting the exposure needed and more is being done, from a United Nations resolution on child marriage to the formation of various foundations that work to educate and empower local communities.
“If we can get the word out maybe there would be programs down the road that would stop girls from having to get married at such young ages,” noted Sinclair. What started as a single photographic story, is now evolving into a movement that may eventually break the cycle.
Anything is possible, saving the world one child at a time:
Jerry Ghionis, a top wedding photographer, was on vacation in Cambodia in 2009 when he came upon a badly disfigured girl begging for money near one of the temples. He gave her $20, but felt that wasn’t enough and he needed to do more to help. The sight moved him so much that he asked his tour guide to take him a nearby orphanage and skip the tourist track for the rest of the trip. Ghionis stopped by a local market and loaded his car with supplies to help local children as much as he could.
After the experience, Ghionis was changed. He was on a mission to make a difference.
“Why wouldn’t you use your voice and give greater cause to the world,” Ghionis asked himself. That’s how The Soul Society, an organization that provides aid for orphanages in third world countries, was born.
“When you are selfless, it comes back to you,” said Ghionis. “While you can’t help everyone on earth, maybe you can save the world one soul at a time.”
Although it’s impossible to save everyone and fix every problem, the focus of The Soul Society is to help the plight of orphans in Cambodia and beyond, making a difference one child at a time. “Your voice could be your most powerful asset as a photographer,” Ghionis stated. “Anything is possible.”
As human beings, we connect with each other by sharing stories. As photographers, we create a narrative with the images we make. Sometimes change can start with a single photograph. Or a single photographer. Visual storytelling can be one of the strongest ways to create awareness, inspire others, and serve as a catalyst.
Photographers can change the world.
