Tragedy Tourism

This picture is one that I took my 2nd trip to LA to help with Katrina cleanup. This was about a year after the hurricane, and one of the days we were there, we drove around to see the damage in other parts of the city. This sign was in the 9th ward, the hardest hit section of New Orleans. I almost felt bad taking the picture, what with the message on the sign, but I took it anyway.

I take pictures a lot, even when I am volunteering. Maybe it seems insensitive. But I do it anyway. What better way than photos to show what is really happening? The whole "A picture is worth 1,000 words" thing. Plus, I take pictures of pretty much anything. Honestly. Some of the things I take pictures of would just make you scratch your head.

It's a way for me to not only show others what is happening, but to look back and remember why I volunteer. A great reminder that when it's hot and I'm sweaty and gross, and the house I'm working on is moldy, and I think I'm gonna puke, even then it's totally worth it.

I am not a big fan of the word tourist. Mostly because I'm not a fan of tourists. Living in Ooty will make you strongly dislike tourists pretty quickly. However, I have been called a tourist a lot of times, mostly because of my camera, which is out all the time while traveling, whether I am volunteering or not. But really, even when I am driving places that I drive multiple times every month, I often end up arriving at my destination late, because there's a pretty bird over there, or the sunset looks particularly gorgeous on the clouds, or there's a leaf that is sort of in a different place. I have a hard time even going for a walk in the woods, where I have walked thousands of times (if not more...) in my life. Because what if something is different? Or what if it's all the same, but I suddenly see it all differently?

Pretty sure the first responders thought it was a little odd that I was taking pictures as my uncle was loaded into the chopper to be airlifted to the hospital...

I take pictures of things that make me happy, and things that make me sad. Photography helps me process whatever I am feeling. Over the years, I have tried to learn to be sensitive, and to not hurt people who are already hurting. And something I have found is that most people are ok with it. It's a way for them to tell their story. It's a way to see that someone cares. I try to not take pictures with a flippant air, but instead, showing interest in the person whose life is lying in shambles around them. It's an interesting challenge, but one that I enjoy.

I'm preparing for this sort of a situation in Greece. Partly thinking of how I can improve my photography of hard situations, and partly thinking about how I can use photos to communicate both with the people that I am working with there, and people who are at home. Guess you'll see how it turns out.