Prevention Through Photography
Photography has played a great role in suicide prevention, and today V4P would like to honor that fact. Photography provides a visual aid in taking away the stigma that suicide can bring to a person. This visual medium can help humanize the stereotypes associated with suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression. A great example of this is a suicide prevention photography project started in 2014 by Whitney Saleski called the Stanley Sessions. After losing her father to suicide, Whitney began the Stanley Sessions. The Stanley Sessions is a photo project featuring people affected by suicide—both those who have lost someone or have attempted, themselves. Her project aimed to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide discussion through photography and the written word. This project ended in 2019, but if you would like to view the photos or learn more about it click the link provided http://stanleysessions.com/about.
Another great example of using photography as a visual medium is the work done by Connie Martin Trevino. Connie who has been working as an artist for many years using photography, paintings, and sculptures to express her artistry. Her work can be seen in the Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere, where she created all the artwork for Kerry Washington’s character Mia. Below is Connie’s description of what emotions she has when taking the photo shown.
“To me witnessing the sight of a sunrise or a sunset causes me to reflect on how each day is a new opportunity to start fresh. To evolve and change. With each new day I am allowed the freedom to choose to better than I was the day before. I know that challenges will arise and may often seem unbearable, but I also know that they can be conquered. This is the first time that I have ever said publicly that I’ve felt on the edge many times but told myself that I deserve to be here, to be happy and live a long natural life. What I know is it’s essential to take care of your whole self-first.”
To learn more about Connie’s work you can follow her on Instagram at @ultratrevino. If you or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255, or dial 911. The Crisis Text Line for Georgia is Text GA to 741741, this is a free 24/7 text line for people in crisis.
