I went to take a portrait of the father of a gay teenager at the helm of an important civil rights lawsuit the other day, but was not allowed to take a photograph of the teen himself. The case involves a gay teenager who was repeatedly harassed and allegedly didn't get the help or protection from the school he was attending, so his request was reasonable considering it could protect him from further harassment. But a heartbreaking challenge to say the least. A portrait of this remarkable teen could show the face of bravery, paving the way for thousands of other teens going through similar situations. And it could bring compassion from those not experiencing similar situations, but who could see this boy - his face, is just like so many other teen faces, gay or not. Basically, a portrait of any subject of any story is crucial, and without it, a photographer feels they are unable to communicate the essence of the story, which is their job after all. So, the next best thing was to silhouette the boy behind the father, which they gratefully obliged. Please read the full story HERE.
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