Linda Wan's Perspective

I was intrigued and excited when my good friend Lisa Powers first told me she was thinking about holding a photography workshop for members of Ann Arbor's homeless community. What appealed to me was my feeling that this could be a powerful way for them to communicate their own stories. It could be such a pure and direct form of communication to the community at large.

For those of us assisting - myself, Adrian, and Rita -who were already photographers, we found our own enthusiasm for our craft renewed and refreshed as we processed the students' film, printed the pictures and heard their thoughtful descriptions of those images.

One thing I love about being a photographer is being invited into situations and communities with which I have had little previous contact. These experiences have helped me grow as my perceptions are challenged and focused into a truer picture of this world and the people around me. The workshop students have given us an insight into their lives and in the process helped enlighten our own.

Linda Wan is an Ann Arbor-based freelance photographer who formerly was a staff photographer at the Ann Arbor News. Her current projects include documenting the work of local, organic farmers. She's also been very busy this summer photographing weddings in a photojournalistic style.

ALL PHOTOS AT RIGHT © LINDA WAN 1997

ABOVE Group Picture, Women's Workshop - I love this thumbs-up sign Jessica spontaneously gave as we assembled for a group photo. Clockwise from Jessica is Adrian Wylie, Linda Wan, Jennifer Cash, Armenia, Lisa Powers, Joya, Rita Koehler, and Caroline Wang (holding daughter Michaela).

ABOVE RIGHT Armenia - Armenia is talking about one of her photographs. What I love is the look in her eye which I recognize as the excitement we all feel when we have created something we care about. Also, I believe we become more aware of our specialness when we are given the opportunity for self-expression.

LEFT Joya's Pictures - Again, in this photograph I see something I saw in the picture of Armenia - that process of self-discovery and self-affirmation as we discover through art the world around us. Joya made this very obvious to me when she came to the last workshop class with her contact sheet images places in a precious little frame she has brought especially for them.