max s. gerber(the latest shot)

sometimes i get pegged for the tough jobs. i have a handful of clients for whom i fall into a certain niche; i’m the go-to guy for stories that require sensitivity in handling, stories that involve advocacy for patients or those in some distress. i’ve even been referred to as “humanistic” by some editors. frankly, i’m very pleased to be thought of this way. i’ve always found myself drawn to portraiture as a humanistic endeavor – i mean, how could it not be? i’m also very drawn to the idea of approaching and treating subjects very simply, without much in the way; a minimum of the unnecessarily stylized or produced touches you often see in other photo shoots.

i was asked by TIME magazine to illustrate a story written by karl taro greenfeld. karl was writing about his younger brother, noah. noah is 42 years old and a low-functioning autistic. the article was to be an adaptation/excerpt from karl’s book, “boy alone: a brother’s memoir“ about growing up with noah and the idea of eventually becoming his brother’s sole steward.

noah lives in a small, somewhat run-down house in los angeles. he’s kept company constantly by at least one nurse. noah is unable to take care of himself in any meaningful way; he can’t clean himself, cook himself a meal or even dress himself. noah doesn’t really talk, either, though he’s constantly vocalizing, making a series of sharp, often loud grunts and other sounds. noah bangs his hands and feet against the floor almost continually, making noises, and sometimes even hits his head against things seemingly on purpose.

when i accepted the job it came with a wide range of immediate restrictions: no auxiliary lighting whatsoever. no assistant. no tripod. noah might refuse to be photographed at all. noah could try to grab or bite me. i was told noah reacts best to very tall, very large men. perhaps he feels intimidated and that works to calm him. however, i’m 5’7″ and quite thin. oh well.

i was nervous going in, but also kind of excited. you don’t often get a glimpse of what life is like for someone like noah. we all hear quite a lot about autism in children, but then people tend to forget that there is no getting better from a very severe case like noah’s, and they tend to lose interest when the sufferers grow up, stop being cute and start to feel like more of a burden. i was also very excited to work from the set of restrictions, photographically speaking. part of the challenge would be in making noah comfortable with me, part would be in getting something that looks good without any control over the situation or any ability to direct the subject.

i met karl at the house on a sunday morning. we weren’t there very long, but karl seemed to think that noah took quite well to me. i shot very quickly, trying to be quiet and non-threatening. i laid down on the floor with noah. i don’t know if karl would admit it, but noah seemed happy to see him, and didn’t even seem to mind me all that much. karl claims we got him on a good day.

read the article here. the issue is out today, may 18th.

my thanks to karl, and to martha, crary and dietmar at TIME mag.