Friday, June 27, 2008

Shaddow Contemplation

When I first visited Al Rashad mental institute in 2005, the guards stopped me and asked who I am. After they knew that I am a doctor they asked me if I carry a camera. After I told them that I don't carry a camera, they asked me if my mobile phone have a camera. My mobile by then was having no camera. I asked them why they did ask those questions, and they told me that it is prohibited to carry any kind of camera inside Al Rashad institute.

Since then and I know it is very sensitive to take a picture to a person with a mental illness. I never did took a picture to a person without his concent. And never thought of taking a picture for a person with mental illness.

But when I started my training course in Al Rashad institute before about 6 months, nobody asked me if I ever have a camera. I even saw some kids walking inside the hospital with their mobile phone cameras turned on on a window of patients while police was standing nearby. I thought about talking to them, but they knew the police and the policemen know them, yet no body knows me at that time. So I just shut my mouth.

During my training I saw that some patients are pictured and sometimes video camera is used during some occations that even psychiatry seniors were attending.

I get less sensitive from my mobile camera during the last months of my training and I started to use it when I think it is an appropriate time and place.

I never took a picture to a face of a patient. But I think, this patient's contemplating moment in the shaddow worth to be recorded.

3 comments:

Santa Rosa New School Aikido said...

What a lovely photo.

Anonymous said...

I, too, thought it was a wonderful photo. I showed it to my husband because it reminded me of a painting. Perhaps I see it through different eyes, but it looks like an early seventeenth century painting, Biblical scene, classical background (the building looks like a Roman temple with columns until you enlarge it).

A bit like Millet: http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/rousham_house_and_garden or http://www.tollemache.co.uk/images/16.jpg

or even Carracci: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Annibale_Carracci_003.jpg/800px-Annibale_Carracci_003.jpg

A very powerful image of a man in contemplation.

saminkie said...

Thank you Laura and Margaret for your encouragment.

Thank you Margaret for letting me know about Millet and Carracci, and for sending me the links to see those paintings. It was great pleasure to be able to see things through your eyes.