Benemérito

“Benemérito” (“worthy” in English) is a fine art photography project, not documentary or street photography. What is the difference between the working class and the lower class? The term "lower class" also refers to persons with low income. The working class is sometimes separated into those who are employed but lacking financial security (the "working poor") and not an underclass. My artist friend, Zoltan Gerlizcki, and I traveled to Merida, Mexico, an historic Mayan city in the Yucatan peninsula in 2022. We hired guides to help us with translation and finding subjects. We approached working people in the old center of the city. We invited them to step outside their job site to an exterior wall and an open sky. We asked them to relax for a few minutes before we took their portraits, and to let us help them pose in an artistic way. It was amazing to see the transformation as our participants became the center of attention, even just for five or 10 minutes. Their behavior during the photo shoot was completely different than it had been where they worked. An inner pride surfaced that had been hidden in the workplace. Some of them had worked 50 years doing the same job every day without any recognition. Our goal though my photography was to show the world how worthy they are of dignity and respect. The question we were asked most often by our participants was how they would be remembered. They will be remembered as long as we can share their photos. The power of photography is great indeed. Douglas R. Powell Photographer February 2022