Seeing Beyond Sight

Here's 71-second scene from the documentary film we're working on. ( join our cause here )
”When you see, you’ll find out.” Antonio, age 13, blind photographer
SEEING BEYOND SIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY BLIND TEENAGERS by Tony Deifell is a collection of real-life stories and photographs made by blind teenagers, published this year by Chronicle Books. It has a great foreword by Pulitzer-Prize winning child psychiatrist, Robert Coles.
About the book:
With its ambitious, seemingly paradoxical premise, Seeing Beyond Sight stretches our definitions of art, vision, and perception and what it really means to see.
Unusual as the idea may seem at first, putting cameras in the hands of visually-impaired children proved to be extremely fruitful – both for the photographers, who found an astonishing way to express themselves, and for the viewers of their images. As a photographer, Tony Deifell had always feared losing his sight, and wondered, “If I were blind, could I still make photographs?” He decided to find out.
What began as an experimental after-school photography club grew into a five-year project that impacted Tony as much or more than his students. Compiled into five chapters — distortion, refraction reflection, transparence and illuminance — Seeing Beyond Sight is about seeing in the broadest sense. The photographs and stories tell of danger, fear, trust, race and beauty found in all our lives.
A rare book of visual art, Seeing Beyond Sight speaks with inspirational power, not only to the visually impaired community at large, but also to anyone who has ever considered what it means to see and perceive the world.
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About the author:
Tony Deifell is a visual artist and social entrepreneur. He has spent over a decade creating youth-generated media projects, including From the Hip, Youth Voice Radio, and ISM, which was recognized by the White House as a national model of diversity education, using video diaries to address race issues.
He serves as Chief Strategist for KaBOOM!, serves on the board of directors of Active Voice, advises film and television projects, and continues to develop participatory media-making productions such as wdydwyd? (AKA "why do you do what you do?).
Tony was an artist-in-residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts, taught documentary studies at Duke University, and was a national leadership fellow with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. He taught photography at Governor Morehead School for the Blind from 1992 to 1997.
He lives in San Francisco.
.Do the photography challenge!
SEEING-BEYOND-SIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE is an experiential extension of the book. It is a photography adventure that isn’t about blindness – it is about seeing, noticing and paying attention with more than your eyes.
What participants around the world have said about the photography challenge: "This experience continues to be a profound personal exploration." (Pash Galbavy, Australia)
"It was fun and scary… I was overwhelmed." (Jessica Longo, San Francisco)
"After doing this, I felt so ready to be open to new perspectives." (Jean Russell, Illinois)
"This experience freed me to think of photography in new ways." (Clare Mulvany, Thailand)
"I’ve been blind for 23 years… Snapping a picture felt like a translation – this is what you guys are seeing when I’m having a sensory experience." (Kathy Knox, San Francisco)
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For additional information about the book. SEEING BEYOND SIGHT
To get a copy of the book
signed by the author for $24.95: