Good Shots, the subject of The New York Times article reprinted here, had its beginnings two decades ago at a camping trip for mentally disabled children. Photographer Martin Benjamin was struck by the candor and raw enthusiasm of his subjects. Since then, he has believed that the mentally disabled-with that candor and enthusiasm-would themselves make wonderful photographers.
In 1994, he went to a day treatment program run by the Schenectady County Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) and let some of the clients use his camera. Encouraged by the photos they took, Benjamin made more visits with Union students. Eventually, those visits evolved into classes complete with lectures, field trips, and critiques.
“Every class with the ARC was an exhilarating experience” Benjamin says. “As the photographers' pictures emerged, the idea of an exhibition became a reality.”
ARC photographers were John Bromley, Richard Bryan, Sandra Corlew, Jennie DiMarco, Shirley Epting, Elizabeth Kirwin, Tony Matarazzo, Robert Stowell, and David Weston. Their photographs were joined by ones from Benjamin and Union students Azul Jaffer, Noelle Pirnie, Douglas Tanner, and Manisha Tinani.
As of early March, other media expressing an interest in Good Shots included Parade magazine, “Prime Time Live” on ABC, and “CBS Good Morning.”