on Feb 10th, 2006Natalie Behring Chinese Man with AIDS
© Natalie Behring
Descripton: Shui Xian, Henan Province, China - March 18, 2005 - An elderly man (Mr. Pan) who has been infected with AIDS and treated with American medicine in Suang Miao Village.
AIDS knows no boundaries in terms of age and class. I was browsing photos on Flickr and came across Natalie Behring’s work. She’s a freelance photographer working in Beijing, China.
It’s rather strange to look at a photograph, imagining the life of the individual in the frame, and then be given a description that completely changes the way you look at the image. The information permanently alters the value and meaning of the image.
Knowing this man has AIDS makes me stare longer into his eyes, wondering if the full impact of his potential death has been momentarily captured by the camera. That’s the power of photography. It takes you past the surface and penetrates the soul.