Some people are always complaining. It’s like life dealt them a bum hand. But then there are others who seem to rise above their circumstances with grace and talent, no matter how tough a hand they have been dealt.

Imagine pursuing the art of photography, but without the benefit of sight. You might say it would be impossible, but a group of blind Israelis are proving that the beauty of art can transcend certain challenges.

An article published on Forbes.com describes the work of nine blind Israeli photographers, now on display at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

One of the artists, Riki Fritsh achieves her art by strapping a compact camera to her forehead. The results are both beautiful and also illuminating. The exhibition helps visitors understand, in some small way, what it is like to be blind.

And although some people might doubt whether a blind person can create visual art, the article includes a quote from New York University’s professor Gerald Pryor, who is head head of the photography department.

“They see the world with their bodies,” Pryor said. “They sense the world in a different way, and they can manifest that world in a photograph.”

And if it’s good enough for him…

Read the article after the jump or online.

Blind Photographers Show Work in Israel
By MARSHALL THOMPSON

Reaching above her dark glasses, Riki Fritsh held a compact camera to her forehead and snapped away at a group of passengers boarding a bus. Most of the travelers were caught off guard by the camera’s flash. But they were even more surprised to learn that Fritsh is blind.

Fritsh is one of nine blind photographers featured in an exhibition at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

“When people see the photos, they are proud of me,” said Fritsh, 50, who has been completely blind since birth. “They can’t believe that I took these pictures.”

Organizers said one of their goals is to let visitors see what it’s like to be blind.

“When we follow the things that they decide to shoot, it reveals their world to us,” said Iris Shinar, one of the group’s instructors.

Some of the photos in the exhibit are out of focus. Some don’t show the subjects’ faces, but all provide candid glimpses into the lives of the photographers.

One photo shows a darkened apartment and another shows the blurry image of the artist in an ornate mirror. A sultry woman - the girlfriend of one of the photographers - lounges on a couch. A 90-year-old grandmother takes a nap in the afternoon sun.

An annual exhibit of blind photographers in Tokyo inspired Shinar and fellow photographer Kfir Sivan to start their own program in Israel. They hope similar programs will start in other countries as well.

Several groups exist worldwide for partially blind and otherwise disabled photographers, but completely blind photography is still quite rare, said Shirley Britton of the Disabled Photographers Society in the United Kingdom.

“There seems to be a lot of people who are partially sighted,” Britton said. “But I don’t know if a completely blind person could really do photography.”

Shinar and Sivan weren’t sure how it would work either. Before the class started, they experimented by blindfolding themselves and taking pictures to see what would work. They discovered that holding the camera to the forehead, like a third eye, was the best way to stabilize and aim the camera.

They found volunteer participants from the Herzliya Center for the Blind, near Tel Aviv, and started teaching. Since last March, they have been teaching the group on a volunteer basis, providing the students with cameras, film and other supplies. The classes covered composition, fundamentals, and a history of photography, among other subjects. The results impressed even the instructors.

“Every week Riki brings me a roll and in every roll there are winning shots,” Shinar said.

Since she started photographing people on her bus route Fritsh, 50, has become well-known and several people call out to her by name as they board. One bus passenger even asked her to be the official photographer for a party at a local nursing home.

“At first, it was a bit odd,” said Shira Yehzkia, an 18-year-old passenger whose grandfather is also blind. “But I get really excited to see blind people do things that are not regular for them.”

While some might be skeptical that a blind person can create visual art, professor Gerald Pryor, head of the photography department at New York University, said the concept makes sense.

“They see the world with their bodies,” Pryor said. “They sense the world in a different way, and they can manifest that world in a photograph.”

The art, however, doesn’t just share the artists’ world, Shinar said, it also helps the artists themselves connect to the people around them.

Shinar said some students like to document their travels and activities for their grandchildren. One woman photographed her Passover feast preparations for more than 30 family members.

The exhibit closed on Tuesday after a three-week run that attracted crowds of more than 400 people. Shinar said the class will continue.

“We can’t stop now,” she said. “We are like family.”