QUOTATION # 28.

[On African photographers]

“Gifted and experienced photographers from the continent continue to be marginalised.

Lack of recognition by powerful organisations like World Press Photo (WPP) and Magnum means that photographers lose out on opportunities to enhance their technical ability and network with each other and commissioning editors.”

Ordination day photo of Rev. W.T. Odjidja, 1912. Courtesy of Odjidja Family, Bhamiyee House, Korletsom.

“It is important to note that photographers from African countries often do not even make it to the list of nominees for competitions, because the nominators themselves are based in localities that do not give them knowledge of the existence of these photographers.

By choosing who gets to be recognised, selected for training by respected photographers and photo editors, and networked into powerful media houses, such organisations have the power to direct who pictures and narrates our world.”

Wedding of Mr. E.M.L.Odjidja to Miss Afua Malm; 1928. Courtesy of Odjidja Family, Bhamiyee House, Korletsom.

“More importantly, they get to choose who photographs and narrates the experiences of those who the geopolitical west has seen as “other”.

Inevitably, by leaving out photographers from African countries, and continuing to skew the selection process towards photographers who are from Europe and North America, the way the world pictures and imagines Africa and Africans will remain as they have historically been framed by the geopolitical west – as location of a special brand of savagery and darkness to which those in the west have no parallel experiences or equivalent.”

M NEELIKA JAYAWARDANE.

2 thoughts on “QUOTATION # 28.”

  1. Archiving our past, recording the contemporary and anticipating the future.

    Not quite in our DNA or is It? LOL

    Great photos of your family, the Odjidjas

    People like Allotey Bruce-Konuah are digitizing all prints. A lot more needs to be done.

    Thanks for sharing.

    1. Yes indeed, JOA. So much to do, so little time. But we should keep striving to do our best.

      Certainly, more workers are needed in the vineyard.

      Have a good day.

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