Project to teach poor kids analog photography

[Changeling1]

A young lady in Westwood (L.A.) is trying to put together a little project to introduce poor Brazilian children to film photography. Check it out:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/wan/347374473.html

Maybe you could help her out.

 

[wheelygirl]

I've not checked the link, yet. I've been thinking of a similar project here in central Arizona--Phoenix. It's only in a thinking stage, at this point.

 

[bdial]

There is a program in South East Vermont called In-Sight, which is oriented to youth, though not specifically for poor kids. This may provide some information, or inspiration.

From their home page...

In-Sight's mission is to provide local youth with a creative outlet away from school and give its students a visual language that will give them tools to communicate with others and discover something about themselves.
In-Sight achieves this by offering photography classes to Windham County youth regardless of their ability to pay.

Dead Link Removed

 

[copake_ham]

A couple of weeks ago there was a thread on the APUG Irish forum about a shoot film project/contest for school kids sponsored by Fuji. Fujifilm provided one-use film cameras. You can do a search if you desire.

Ironically, the "first prize" to the winner of the "contest" was a digiP&S!

 

[wfe]

Here's another good ongoing project,
http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/home/

Cheers,
Bill

 

[Ljusdahl]

Poor kids? Film photography?

I just have to ask, am I the only one seeing the contradiction in this?

 

[kjsphoto]

The listing has expired on craigslist.

 

[Changeling1]

drat!

The listing has expired on craigslist.

Should have saved the CL listing as a pdf. Sorry.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Is this the right way to go?

Given that in the words of an APUGer "Photography is not for the faint of wallet", is this really the right way to go?

Is this like taking poor children for rides in Rolls Royces and telling them this is what you should expect in life?

Or maybe having poor people look at the kitchens on television and letting them think that everyone else has a kitchen like that?

Just some thoughts,
Steve

 

[copake_ham]

Since the Craiglist post has expired - I cannot confirm. But I wonder if the purpose was not so much to introduce poor children to film photography as it was to create an "arts project"?

These kinds of efforts have been done before with the idea of letting underpriviledged kids express themselves and their world by making a visual record of it. The purpose isn't to convince them to grow up and become good APUG'ers - rather it's to enable them to visually express what is good and bad etc. about themselves and their world.

If this was the purpose - then it's a lot more "palatable" to me then just "teasing" poor kids with something they really cannot have.

 

[kchittenden]

My daughter is conducting a literacy through photography program in West Virginia this summer. Most all of the equipment was donated or given through a grant.

 

[Marco Buonocore]

At the darkroom that I use (Gallery 44, in Toronto) there is a similar program that has been going on for at least a few years now. It´s called Outreach
(http://www.gallery44.org/education/outreach2006.htm), and it´s aimed at teens who are having a tough time of it.

I´ve been in the darkroom many times when they´re in as well, and it always impresses me. Some of these kids look pretty rough around the edges. I recognize alot from around town - squeegee kids, panhandlers, etc. And here they are, puttering away in the darkroom, going over each other´s prints and contact sheets, loupes to their eyes scrutinizing a negative to see if it´s sharp... I love it. They go about their business, and other members go about theirs. It´s all perfectly ´normal´, which I think helps a great deal. I don´t know how much ´normal´alot of these teens get in life.

There´s no onus to print on fibre paper, or shoot with a Hassleblad. Grants pay for the majority of their supplies, and I expect they´ve got some deal worked out with one of the labs for negative processing. Someone puts in a lot of effort - I don´t know enough about it - but it all seems to run smoothly.

I can´t imagine anyone arguing that this is *not* a great thing. I would hope similar programs exist in cities through the world. Whether it´s photography, painting, or jazz dance for all I care - It all falls under the umbrella of being a good experience. Kids like these desperately need more good experiences, on top of the fundamentals like food and shelter.

This is where grants from large companies and organizations prove their worth. Small amounts of money can make a really significant difference in programs like these.

 

[jordanstarr]

photography doesn't have to be expensive. i used to be a darkroom co-ordinator for my university photoclub in ontario and the used camera stores would sell us old nikon/pentax/vivitar cameras for 20-45$ with lenses. they would sell them at cost or give us free ones that didn't have working light meters, winders, etc. that could be fixed up with the proper parts. there's lots of support for programs like that and if you're starting out "quality" is a foreign word. of course a contax slr with zeiss lenses will run you a few hundred, but a pentax k1000 with a 50mm lens goes for about 50$ on ebay and is a great starter camera that when used right can take just as good of photos as any contax/zeiss combo. there's worse ways to spend 50$ -i think it's an amazing project.

i work in a homeless shelter as a caseworker and every kid who walks through the door with addiciton issues basically started "experimenting" through boredom, peer pressure and a drive to be badass and hard. i think photography at least takes care of a couple of those variables. if they're spending their money on camera gear and film, it's hard to buy crack.

 

[wheelygirl]

Howdy everyone!
There is a specific book that has given me the inspiration to 'do' this type of project, on a smaller scale, I think. The title is, "Shooting Back: Photographic View of Life by Homeless Children" selected by Jim Hubbard. Ihad been homeless, as an adult, and it is very scary at times--I want the children to be able to gain siome sort of comfort, community with their images. Heaven only knows when this idea of mine will get off the ground, but that is a desire of mine!