PhotoVoice: Last Class

For our last class, we worked with the students on captions for the four photos that were picked to go in the gallery show. Working on captions was a big challenge. Some of the students were very poetic with the captioning, while others were very literal. We ended up working an hour later than normal. The students seemed to love the challenge of thinking outside the box of "this is a picture of."

I should note that before we all sat down to caption, the PhotoVoice class of 2014 spoke with the CMCA board, giving a very brief intro about PhotoVoice. The students were great, speaking with board members with confidence about their work and what they did during class.

At this point in the program, it is up to Staci and I to edit the photos and get them ready for the gallery. The students have been great and I can not wait to see the reaction we get from them when they see their photos up on a wall for the first time. 

Two of the students I was helping had the sudden realization that their photos were going to be seen by a lot of people and had ear to ear grins on their faces as they wrote down captions. It was a great night! As I get this edits done in the next few days, I need to make sure and get the word out about the gallery show on May 15th at PSGallery downtown.

What I am learning from my students...

This passed weeks PhotoVoice class was great! We got the upload issues from previous weeks taken care of and were able to see everyones images and spend some time talking about them. The project for last week was "life long learning." 

Each student took a very different approach to the subject, Zane (pictured above) shot a series still lifes that made a really nice essay, giving us a glimpse into what he felt would make it possible to have life long learning. (As we edit those in class, I will post the series).

After we talked for a bit, we started our photo scavenger hunt. Which was a lot of fun. We stayed with in the area of our building. The students hunted for photos finding some great shots. 20 minutes after we had started I had one student run over to me and tell me his card was full, once that little hiccup was solved he kept shooting. I felt like this was the perfect opportunity for the class to ask me any photography questions in real time and we could problem solve things out. I am happy to report back it was exactly that. 

Next weeks assignment is "Relationships." We discussed in class the types of relationships and how they can be varied and different. Sometimes I find myself explaining to much (or at least thats how it feels) then I step back and remember they are smart kids and always come back with photos and explanations to why they took a type of photo that blows me away.

PhotoVoice Class Two...

Brother and sister Hallie(left) and William

Thursday night was class two for the 2014 PhotoVoice Class. We talked about the students weeks, looked over some of their work. We had a few technical difficulties in getting all of their work downloaded, but next week those problems should be taken care of.  The lecture I gave on photography this week went well, using their work as examples of good photos helped keep them excited during the class.

Photo by William

The photo above was turned in by one of my students William for the Basic Needs assignment, when he discussed it in class he spoke of happiness, in the photo are Williams friends and neighbors. The discussion of basic needs brought up many topics and one that seemed to be present in a lot of the images was friends and family. As a kid your friends and family are your entire world so that was no surprise. I am curious to see where these assignments will lead and what the students choose to place in their viewfinders. 

For the up coming week we will view more of the students work and I am planning a photo scavenger hunt around the CMCA building Thursday afternoon. Should be a good way of keeping my students engaged with the class and help them build on their photo skills, allowing them to ask me some photo questions in real time instead of having to wait a week between classes.

Helping find a PhotoVoice...

On Thursday night, I started working with Central Missouri Community Action. For the next eight weeks, I will be teaching photography to a group of kids. I have worked with the shoot-back concept before in Guatemala with a nonprofit organization, Voces De Cambio, and loved it. I've been looking for an opportunity to teach here in Missouri. While I was talking with my professor at the end of last semester, she informed me about the PhotoVoice program here in town. It's a two-fold win for me. One, I get to hand out and teach photography to kids that might not have the opportunity to learn this craft if it wasn't for this program. Plus, I get a course credit out of the way.

Thursday's class started off a bit rocky. Most classes the students were pretty quiet. (Well, with the exception of two students who were already friends.) Once we checked out cameras to the students, they ran around the room visually exploring the place.  This class feels like it is going to be a lot of fun.

The first assignment is Basic Needs, when Sarah (the other instructor) and I went around the room asking what the kids thought were their basic needs they shouted out suggestions "Bacon! Water! a House!" Then one of the more shy students quietly said "Family." I was honestly struck by that answer. I don't think I would have thought about that at his age.

I'm positive that this class will produce some insightful photographs. Perhaps when we have our gallery show, the community will have something productive to talk about.

A change of course...

It has been a long time since I posted. The past few months have been insane! I quite my job in Temple in July, Spent some time in El Paso relaxing and shooting a wedding, went back to Temple gathered up the apartment into boxes and move to Missouri to start grad school. Missouri is a pretty nice place, Lindsey being in Kansas City for school and me here in Columbia is given me the chance to explore two cities. Which has really turned into where to get the best beer/food hunt.

Coming back to school has been an interesting ride so far. Already diving into research and photo projects. I am one of the Assistant Directors of Photography at the Columbia Missourian, so my work load is pretty heavy. Most of my free time I spend hanging out with the dog. I always told myself I wouldn't go back to school, but here I am diving into this program.