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Food Bank Project

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
I started today a long time project including photographs of a food bank near Setúbal.

I have been there three times and I will return many others more with an exhibition in mind, November 2016.

This is a study of what may be the esthetical approach to the subject.

As usual, comments welcome. Thank you :)

i-2g3Wg79-X2.jpg
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Jerome,

What exactly is a food bank?

In the US, food banks are organizations that stockpile food and make it available, generally free, to the less fortunate. They are sometimes operated by cities but also often by private organizations.

They often depend on donations both from citizens and in many cases by food retailers.

Best regards,

Doug
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
I started today a long time project including photographs of a food bank near Setúbal.

I have been there three times and I will return many others more with an exhibition in mind, November 2016.

This is a study of what may be the esthetical approach to the subject.

As usual, comments welcome. Thank you :)

i-2g3Wg79-X2.jpg

Antonio

What does the sign on the left read in English... does it refer to being a food bank? I cant tell that this is a food bank. It appears to me as a warehouse of some kind.

James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Antonio

What does the sign on the left read in English... does it refer to being a food bank? I cant tell that this is a food bank. It appears to me as a warehouse of some kind.


James,

Food banks are indeed warehouses to safely store and faithfully and fairly distribute nutritious food especially that which might otherwise perish or go to waste!



i-2g3Wg79-X2.jpg




The large sign on the left, "o banco alimentartem fidelidade", is Portuguese and translates to "Food Fidelity Bank" using instead the close terms, " o banco alimentar fidelidade" Actually one might guess that alimentartem has something to to with the alimentary tract, the party our food takes in our body and that connected with Bank, it is an eating bank of some sort and then "fidel" means faithful, so putting it together it could be guessed as "honest food storehouse".

In Europe, "Fidelity" is associated with the ethics of operation of the free food bank and the cooperation of many charities and agencies across the continent.

Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
James,

Food banks are indeed warehouses to safely store and faithfully and fairly distribute nutritious food especially that which might otherwise perish or go to waste!



i-2g3Wg79-X2.jpg




The large sign on the left, "o banco alimentartem fidelidade", is Portuguese and translates to "Food Fidelity Bank" using instead the close terms, " o banco alimentar fidelidade" Actually one might guess that alimentartem has something to to with the alimentary tract, the party our food takes in our body and that connected with Bank, it is an eating bank of some sort and then "fidel" means faithful, so putting it together it could be guessed as "honest food storehouse".

In Europe, "Fidelity" is associated with the ethics of operation of the free food bank and the cooperation of many charities and agencies across the continent.

Asher

Hi Asher

Yes I realize that organizations store food in ware houses. It is good that the sign describes the place,, especially for a opening shot but for the rest of us who do not relate to the language the image itself does not convey a food bank to the viewer. Maybe Antonio may want to reach a wider audience with his project. Since he asked for comments I thought that this may be something that he may want to consider.

Best, regards
James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I see your point, James.

I expect the order of pictures might ever and a new "leader" will depose this first one perhaps!

?

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Better to have a large warehouse to which one can invite donations than food outside a tiny building rotting in the sun!

But you are right, Jerome, doesn't look too optimistic being so empty! Now I wonder if they have refrigeration?

Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
Better to have a large warehouse to which one can invite donations than food outside a tiny building rotting in the sun!

But you are right, Jerome, doesn't look too optimistic being so empty! Now I wonder if they have refrigeration?

Asher

Hi Asher

I doubt that it has refrigeration as most food banks requests are for non perishable items.

James
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Thank you all for the interest.
I am going to try to answer and tell what I am about to do.
-
The Food Bank Project was an idea which came to my mind when Portugal is increasingly poor and more and more people need help from others.
I have included recently António Alves - in my gallery "Gente cá da terra / Our people" - who is the President of this food bank in Setúbal area. We know each other for ages...
I told him about this project and he willing gave me the right connection to start the work.
I have been to the site - 20 kms from Setúbal - twice so far. I do know already at least 4 or 5 persons involved in the process who were very happy to guide me throughout the area. The first time I just made some random shots.
However, the second time, I was more careful and made some photographs the posted one included.

Please consider that Portugal is a small country and you can't expect to see a warehouse the size of... Amazon for example. I told one of the persons working there that the area was pretty empty and I wanted it as full as possible.

This happens twice a year. Next time it will be on the 28th and 29th November. These days the bank collects items, and place them in shelves and so on. Those days I will be photographing in the early morning.
To have a broader choice of photographs and choose the best ones, my plan is to photograph during the two annual collections and by the end of 2016 to make somewhere, an exposition of the images. This is not my greatest concern but it is an important goal.

They do have perishable items which are collected ver quickly by nearby institutions. I do not know the details...
I have been inside a refrigeration chamber (room, area) the first time. I hope to go in, over and over.

Now about the sign "O BANCO ALIMENTAR TEM FIDELIDADE".
Fidelidade stands for trustiness, fidelity, loyalty. Fidelidade is the name of an insurance company.
The phrase has a double sense:
The Food Bank is an institution you can rely on and
The Food Bank has loyalty but here loyalty is the appeal to the insurance company. The ambiguosity is enhanced by the fact that all the text is in capitals.

However, I am not sure of this last interpretation ! The sentence as "O banco alimentar tem Fidelidade" doesn't sound very well...
I will keep you informed.

... It is good that the sign describes the place,, especially for a opening shot but for the rest of us who do not relate to the language the image itself does not convey a food bank to the viewer. Maybe Antonio may want to reach a wider audience with his project. Since he asked for comments I thought that this may be something that he may want to consider. Best, regards James

This is something I have not thought about James.
I would like larger audiences by I can't change the posters... and after all this is in Portugal !
Yes Asher, an order for the images will be established and I will select 15 or 20 photographs for the series. This is just the beginning... and the warehouse is so empty because many items have been already distributed.

Banco Alimentar Setúbal

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Jerome Marot

Well-known member
There is information about the food bank in message #3 and there is a picture that looks more like how I would imagine a charity redistributing food which was donated because it could not be sold any more: something resembling a shop with perishable items and people around.

Here, I see an empty warehouse. So I wonder, which probably means that the picture works.
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Thank you Jerome.

Yes, they only collect items twice a year. I do not see the meaning of your question...
I will photograph the warehouse in November when it will be full and I will then see what I get !

I think the help to the people is done not directly to them but through institutions. I would not call it charity but rather help to people who has fallen in disgrace under the so called crises with the help of the Government.
 

Antonio Correia

Well-known member
Perhaps I should make an important correction.
I said they collect food twice a year. What I meant was they make national campaigns twice a year.
They indeed get items all year long but the pieck of collecting is twice a year.
Those are moments I will be photographing.

Sorry for the imprecision. :)
 
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