Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckuindy
Paul takes some very striking photos; however they do not in fact represent the hardships and sufferings of many of the Dominican populous. What I am talking about is the 1000’s of open area dumping sites where you find poor people searching for anything of value. Beggars in every metropolitan city, the guy who cuts cane everyday for less than we spend on a movie ticket. Someone needs to show photos of the thousands of kitchens with only a 2 burner stove and no refrigeration, houses without lights and running water. Mothers without the ability to buy milk or pampers for their babies, the real Dominican Republic.
Chuckuindy
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Chuckuindy,
Are you under the impression that there not enough photos out there showing the misery, hopeless, backward side of the Dominican Republic?
If you are, I'll suggest you do a simple search to see how well documented such side of the Dominican Republic has been photographed, posted on the net, published in books, etc for the world to see. Those are the predominant and almost only images of the DR that are on display about this country.
The other side that is shown by amateurs and professional photographers is the all-inclusive side of the Dominican Republic or the Casa de Campo type holiday retreat side of the country.
If there is a version of the Dominican Republic that is often ignored, perhaps intentionally from the part of amateurs and professionals is the progressive side of the Dominican Republic. You should see the faces people make the moment I show them pictures of shopping malls, modern areas of Santo Domingo, modern supermarkets, middle class neighborhoods. They make faces of shock that I think they should not be making.
I have even had people ask me questions about the DR as if it everyone in the DR is living in the stone age! Asking me if anyone has running water or if they have paved roads in the DR.
That is the side that should be given more attention, because as much as many amateur and professional photographers may dislike or try to belittle the existence of a modern Dominican Republic, it none the less exist and is a part of the reality of the DR.
Those were "great" photos presented there, but I often question myself if taking photos of such people and then posting them on a public medium for all to see is ok. For example, in one of the photos there is a poor woman who has uncombed hair, raggy clothes, etc.
I often wonder if the photographer made it clear to her that the photographs he/she took of her were going to be posted on a medium for the whole world to see and if so, I wonder if she truly knew what that actually meant.
What I am for certain sure of is that if she would have been a member of the Dominican middle class or upper class, or even part of the typical lower class Dominicans (who, btw, live in conditions superior enough that they do take care of the appearance more so than the woman in that photo); I'm sure the photographer would had been clear as to whether he was allowed to take a picture of them and what his intent were of doing such.
But, I guess such humaine treatment of people is something that the dirt poor are not entitled to.
Perhaps I'm wrong in my assessment here, but very often I see pictures taken of the poorest of the poorest and I often ask myself if such photographer took those pictures responsibly or if he/she views these poor people as uneducated children who should not be made aware what will be done of a photograph of themselves.
Like I said before, perhaps I'm wrong in my assessment of the OP, but I still think the other side of the DR needs to be presented more often as well. The rich and middle class areas are as much a Dominican experience as the lower class and poor areas of the country. Sure, they are different and perhaps not as exotic, but they are none the less Dominican areas inhabited by Dominicans people and anyone who truly wants to present the "real" Dominican Republic, needs to give those areas some attention as well.
-NALs
(10)
Pictures around Azua
