Blind photographer Flo Fox heard birds and footsteps and “clicked.” A perfect fleeting moment.
Jury Award of Merit © Flo Fox

Seeing Is About Much More Than Sight

When OIC Moments asked the question—”Can you see without sight?”—we were vividly reminded that creative inspiration is fed by exploration within and without.

You can feel the warmth of the sun and know which way the shadows will fall.

You can touch a wall and follow its patterns and textures.

You can listen for voices or footsteps or crashing waves and know where something interesting might be happening.

You can just close your eyes and let your imagination lead the way.

The Challenge of Seeing without Sight

Using imagination (and all the senses!), an artist can produce some powerful results.

The highly original work of photographers Bruce Hall and Pete Eckert shown in The Creative Process of Blind Photographers uncovered a different way of seeing, a way of experiencing the world without sight.

To further pursue this creative challenge and the idea of seeing without sight, OIC Moments created the Blind Sight Photography Contest. We invited photographers from around the world to use their senses other than sight to create photographs.

The images we received for the contest proved—inspiringly—that there are many ways to “see.”

Blind photographer William Hiu used the tactile street panels to position himself for the shot.
The perfectly composed shadows were an added bonus.
Jury Award of Merit © William Hiu

The Keys to Artistic Success: Originality, Talent . . . and Luck!

Images came from all over the world, from the United States to Uzbekistan to India.

Some of the entrants were blind or limited in vision, using photography as a way to respond to the world visually or as a way to enhance their partial vision. Some were sighted photographers, who had to discover creative ways to photograph without sight.

All of the artists—and the work—confirm that a good image is the result of really connecting with the subject, whether by instinct, touch, listening, taste, or smell.

And, as any honest photographer will admit, it’s not just talent that drives a good image. There’s always a little bit of luck involved.

The feeling of falling, eyes closed, into a well.
© Pranab Basak

When sight is removed from a visual medium, chance plays a larger role. As does intuition, and the ability to use other senses to anticipate or imagine what will happen.

The best revelation of all: A chance moment is more likely to be captured when your senses are heightened, when you can feel the rhythm of the movement, or when you can anticipate a story unfolding.

With the camera in her mouth,
Eleanor captured her uphill struggle in this raw and textured photograph.
Jury Award of Merit © Eleanor Bennett

So Many Ways To See

The artistic approaches in the Blind Sight Contest were as varied as the resulting images.

Some people spun around with eyes closed and decided when to click the shutter. Some placed the camera away from them, so the camera was doing the “seeing,” not them (using self timers or positioning the camera on the ground or holding it overhead so there would be no way to see through the viewfinder).

Some listened . . . for footsteps or animals barking or mewing or rustling in trees in the dark of night.

Some were inspired by the explosion of fireworks or the joy that music can bring.

Some touched the rough bark of a tree and then traced its patterns and form from branches to roots.

Some felt the warmth of the sun through a chandelier so they knew the light would be beautiful on the dangling crystals.

Just as we had hoped, senses were heightened, and imagination and creativity took hold in new ways.

Blind photographer Vitaliy Kim took this photo as part of “One Day,” a project
where a blind photographer and sighted photographer worked together to record their “space.”
Blind Sight Grand Prize Winner
© Vitaliy Kim

Meet the Blind Sight Winners

We’re please to introduce our three winners, selected by the jury from among the top-ten Facebook vote getters.

Congratulations to:

 Vitaliy Kim, Grand Prize Winner from Uzbekistan

Serene Ang, Second Prize Winner from Singapore

Betsy van Die, Third Prize Winner  from Chicago, Illinois, USA

Blind Photographer Serene Ang caught statues (and humans!) in this interesting
arrangement of characters interweaving past and present.
Blind Sight Second Prize Winner
© Serene Ang

Betsy was guided by her husband to a deserted area of the woods and captured this
ominous discarded remnant of civilization.
Blind Sight Third Prize Winner
© Betsy van Die

The Story Continues

OIC Moments is pleased to share a collection of amazing images from the contest in the free Blind Sight eBook. Click the cover to download your free copy:

And, most of all, keep exploring the world (and finding creative inspiration) with all your senses . . . because seeing is about much more than sight.

We thank all the organizations and associations that announced this contest, as well as F-Stop Magazine. 

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.