Notwithstanding, I completely agree that any prints made from these should be judged on their artistic merits alone and that should determine their value, and the fact that these may be Adams should not automatically make them valuable.

A very thought provoking post Jeffrey…

I lived for decades before I ever set foot in a mosque. And I don’t remember when I first met a Muslim (nor an Arab for those who confuse the two), but I do know that it was not at a young age. I suspect that many of those who are anti-mosques (as well as anti-Arabs) don’t really know nor understand what they are against. How many have ever been in a mosque, spoken with an Imam, etc.?

We fear what we don’t know. People need exposure to that which they think they fear. Photographers can definitely help with this. We can, for example, tell stories that break the false link of mosques equals Arabs equals terrorists. I encourage those in NYC, you, all of us who can and are interested to explore ways of doing this. It’s exactly what Mario and his team had in mind for IGVP.

Mario, it is definitely my honor to participate in the Guild.

Jeffrey, I also hope that many others will share their personal versions of similar ideals.

It occurs to me that IGVP and other humanitarian and peace-loving photographers in New York City might be interested in using their skills to enhance understanding of the proposed but controversial Islamic community center in Manhattan. I know that’s a tall order. There is so much misunderstanding now. Can photographers help?

Any Visual Peacemakers reading this. Create your peacemaker interview as well. In your profile choose “edit my profile” then select the tab on the left that reads “Peacemaker Profile Interview.”

Through these interviews we can all get to know each other better. I’ll be searching these for blog ideas as well.

Thanks for the post Jeffrey. As always you have demonstrated the thoughtfulness behind your work and efforts. What a fantastic decision to invite you into the Guild!

Take care,
Mario

I was able to stop by the new IGVP site and was impressed with its level of production and quality. It was clear that much time, effort and considerations were completed before the website launch this week. Kudos to everyone involved!

Good luck with this new project and safe travels – jke

It would be nice experiment to put several of Adams lesser known works, and these images in a room and have the “experts” pick the best ones, and the ones they thought were actually his.

Leaving aside the ‘who’ and i’d question whether any photograph is worth an average $3m a pop but then, I guess as with anything, it’s worth whatever someone will pay.