The Blind Photographer: The Very Rev. Ken Gray

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

There are many ways that one could describe the Very Rev. Ken Gray, Dean and Rector of St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in Kamloops, B.C.

The Very Rev. Ken Gray

Husband. Father of two. Long-time Anglican priest. Popular speaker. Gifted musician, with a special love for jazz. Passionate social activist.

Gray is also a leading member of ACEN (Anglican Communion Environmental Network), working with other Anglicans around the world on issues of spirituality and environmentalism.

One might also mention that Gray is an active volunteer with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and that Gray himself is legally blind, due to congenital albinism.

And – perhaps most surprising – he is an enthusiastic and very talented photographer.

All photos by Ken Gray

“I’ve loved photography for a long time…I’m not sure why,” says Gray. “Probably because it helped me see things more clearly.”

Gray’s visual acuity is less than 20 over 200, and hasn’t changed much since he was a child. Reading is challenging, recognizing faces at a distance is very difficult at best, and he will never be able to drive a car. That hasn’t stopped him from following his many passions, including photography. He sometimes gets asked to do professional shoots, which he does under the business name of Legally Blind Photography.

Gray was first introduced to photography when he was a student at Oak Bay High School in Victoria, B.C. when he became photographic editor of the school’s yearbook. That’s when he got his first “serious” camera and learned all about making prints in a darkroom.

“We were all using manual cameras in the 1970s, so most of my pictures were out of focus,” laughs Gray. “But now with auto focus and auto exposure, it’s a whole different world.

Gray is often told that his photos capture angles and perspectives that others miss. Though unable to see details well, he finds himself responding emotionally and in physical ways to factors such as light, colour, line and shape.

“Those factors are huge for me,” says Gray. “I love assembling them in an image. It creates energy…and great delight.”

Gray is also keenly interested in the potential of using photography to bring about social change and awareness. He has come to realize the power of the camera in highlighting social justice and ecology issues.

“Photography definitely accompanies and even amplifies my Christian ministry, both as a priest and a baptized Christian,” says Gray. “I might be taking photographs of people at events such as peace rallies or pipeline protests, or chronicling other gatherings, either nationally or internationally. I like to photograph people in particular environments, and bring attention to important subjects that we need to think about.”

Gray also has been exploring the field of macro photography – taking extreme close-up photos.

“This has been a growing and very rewarding practice for me,” says Gray. “You might call it contemplative photography. I’ve been really influenced by the writings of Thomas Merton and others, such as Joanna Macy, who encourage us over and over again to pay attention to what is around us.”