Blind photographer and muso comes into focus

Braille consultant also plays mandolin in street concert.

AN EXHIBITION by a blind photographer – who uses her other senses to “see” the shot – is opening eyes at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

Already, two works from Pasha Alden’s The House Where I Live exhibition have been snapped up and more orange “sold” stickers are expected to see their way onto the professionally mounted photographs by the time the festival ends on Sunday.

“I am deeply humbled that someone can like my work that much that they would actually buy it,” she told Daily Dispatch.

Classified legally blind from birth, the 44-year-old musician and artist – who works as national braille consultant for the South African Library for the Blind in Grahamstown – can only see the outlines of objects very close up.

“I only have about 1% sight and have to hold something close to my face in the right optimal light to see faint colour.

“I can usually just see light and dark. I use a mish-mash of contrast and other senses to smell and touch when I take my photographs.”

Alden, however, stresses although she likes to feel the texture of plants and other objects before shooting them,  she prefers to be as discreet as possible to prevent crazy stares from people who simply do not understand that this a key way for blind people to “see”.

She jokes she also does not go around touching people she photographs for similar reasons.