Flashes of Hope

Blog Flashes of Hope, Ritterbin Photography - Images by Mike Ritter

I'm currently reading a terrific book called "The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World" by Lewis Hyde. It's not just for artist types. Hyde talks about the concept of a gift from various angles and the differences between a gift and a commodity. This is quite relevant for anyone trying to put value on their work which in our information / digital age is more and more of us.

The concept that is sticking with me most is the contrasts between a culture of commodities and a culture of gifts. Like most anything, the extremes are not the way to go. A purely gift culture would literally be anarchy with no money or contracts and everything governed by judgement calls and dependence on our better nature to win out. A basic idea of the free market is that it frees you from responsibility. A value is placed on something you have (not necessarily by you), I pay that value, and I am not beholden to you for anything else. Yet, ultimate freedom leads to ultimate isolation with everyone more and more operating out of solely their own self interest free of responsibility for their actions beyond the value they paid. How else could our market have acted the way it did in 2008 without the people making awful decisions not feeling in any way connected to the people who would be harmed by their reckless actions?

As a photographer, one of the trickiest things is judging what your skill is worth and getting clients to understand why. There are whole seminars etc. on pricing. But, if we become too good / obsessed with this, we will wither and our work suffer. Hyde stressed that sharing your gift whatever it is, is not only a way to bond you to other people but indeed the only way your gift can thrive.

And as a photographer, there are so many outlets to do this. Flashes of Hope is one of my favorite. The other week, I shot for them for the second time. Flashes of Hope pairs photographers with hospitals to create portraits of children in treatment most often for cancer. The portraits are meant to help them become comfortable with their new appearance and possibly lift some of the embarrassment, fear, frustration, and anger with what is happening.

I headed to the Cam Neely House at Tufts Medical Center and was introduced to six kids fighting cancer. Jonathan, Sebastian, Stephanie, Michael, little Maggie, and Shelby were in different stages of treatments and surgeries but all in good spirits. Each was surrounded by family and portraits came easily.

There is a power to being in the moment, and that is where these kids and families are. Everything boils down to the essential. As my Dad says, "Nothing is life and death but life and death." There are none of the little worries or distractions that we find time for when we are healthy.

I wrapped up the day and headed back to the studio grateful for the chance to share myself and to bear witness to the some of the best things life has to offer - what truly sustains all of us to which no value can be applied.