‘There is a difference between “looking at" something as a photographer and truly "seeing" it.

In a culture saturated with visual messages, our eyes, and by extension our minds and hearts, have become numb and anesthetized to the desire to seek out the deeper meanings of the things we are exposed to.’ says Dennis Dunleavy, communications professor and Black Star Rising columnist. Vida Adamoli investgates, 

 To most of us the idea of a blind photographer is bewildering. After all, how can someone take a picture if they can’t see? And yet all over the world the blind and visually impaired are taking up photography, both as a creative medium and to communicate with their sighted fellows.

So how do they do it? Well, for a start they use their ears. By listening carefully the noises around them, they can judge the location and distance of the subject they want to capture. And using touch they can decide the angle of a still-life shot.They can also pinpoint the sun’s position in the sky by feeling its warmth on their skin. And, last but not least, having a sighted companion describing what is going on helps hugely. Wildlife photographer Alison Bartlett, a highly-acclaimed wildlife photographer, is completely blind. She ‘sees’ with her ears, listening for the rustling in trees and grass to locate the animals. Picking up the sound of a bird's wings flapping or a squirrel nibbling she then homes in on them with her camera.

Evgen Bavcar, born in 1956 in Slovakia, has been widely exhibited, especially in Europe. His work addresses the relationship between vision, blindness and invisibility. Read more about him at Light My Life, which also has a gallery of his work.