Our metaphors matter – in photography and in justice As a photographer, I’ve often reflected on how frequently photographs serve to divide rather than create connections between people.  It is so tempting to emphasize the “otherness” of subjects rather than what we have in common.  As a result, photographs often leave subjects feeling degraded and [...]

Recently I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a friend of some 20 years.  Tyrone Werts is a wise man, a leader, an inspiration to many, who has spent years organizing and helping to sustain others.  He has long been actively engaged in efforts to reduce violence in society. Tyrone Werts, early 1990s [...]

Milton Rogovin died this month at the age of 101.  Although I only met him once, through his photographs and writing he has been one of my mentors. 1998 photo by Howard Zehr As NPR noted in his obituary, Rogovin’s life was about seeing, though the methods changed.  He began his professional life helping others [...]

“Stories are the way we domesticate the world’s disorder.” (Bruce Jackson, The Story is True) My last entry emphasized the importance of story.  Since stories are essential to the experience of victims and offenders – and to all of us – I want to explore this topic a bit further here. Our histories, our identities, [...]

Three million children in the United States are estimated to have one or both parents in prison.   Here is some information about these children: 1 in 15 African American children has a parent in prison.  For white children the figure is 1 in 110. About half of parents in prison have never had a personal [...]

“From the vantage point of the colonized, a position from which I write, and choose to privilege, the term “research” is inextricably linked to European imperialism and colonialism.  The word itself, ‘research,’ is probably one of the dirtiest words in the indigenous world’s vocabulary.  When mentioned in many indigenous contexts, it stirs up silence, it [...]

We have been using FeedMyInbox to alert readers to new posts, but it has not proven very reliable.  We are now switching to Google’s Feedburner. To receive email alerts, click on “E-mail” under “Subscribe” on the right. If you have been getting the alerts from FeedMyInbox, you can can remove that service by unsubscribing when [...]

In previous posts I have discussed ways photography often contributes to “othering” and, conversely, the power it has to bring people together.  A new organization, the International Guild of Visual Peacemakers, began as a group of photographers and designers “devoted to peacemaking & breaking down stereotypes by displaying the beauty of cultures around the world.”  [...]

“Gazing into one’s own eyes is an interesting experience. I’d think there could be great therapeutic value in having some conversations with oneself, someone who appears to be a sympathetic listener (provided by a sympathetic photographer). “ This was Phil Easley’s response after I posted his portrait montage on my photography website. I enjoy portraiture [...]

People have been asking whether I plan to retire in the near future. It’s a fair question: I turn 66 this July and indeed have been making noises about doing so. But retirement doesn’t quite fit my vision for the next year, nor does it fit my current plans. I intend to continue with the [...]