Las Varas MY STORY photo stories: Lesley and Christian

One of the assignments we always give is a group photo shoot: the idea is to tell a story through pictures, with each student contributing one image. At Las Varas we asked each team to come up with a story. Here's a sample...





Lesley and Christian: the patient is Lesley's little sister

Las Varas MY STORY photo stories: Hector and Jorge

This guanaba tree outside the clinic provides snacks and adventure...
Hmmm. I'm hungry
Up, up, and away
The prize
Got it!
Yum...

Dia 7: Another opening, another show...

Day 7 Nov. 27: 3:30 pm and the kids have two hours to tape 4x6 prints to white 8 1/2 x 11 white bond which will then be taped to the courtyard walls. Opening with parents at 5:30. Nat puts up string to act as a guideline and shows everyone how to roll the tape. Somehow with Chuy's help, it all happens. Kids and parents assemble for speeches and photos, then file through to see the show. Photographers are the stars! Hurray! Other kids want to know when they can do the MY STORY photo project. The good news is that Chuy is going to carry on with the program. And that's what it's all about: fun, sustainability, fun.



Janet welcomes everyone and asks the students what they liked the most and the least about the program: they like taking pictures and didn't like that the program was so short.




Ahhh yes, let's not forget the group photos:

Dia 5 & 6: Edit, edit, edit

Day 5 & 6: Nov. 25, 26. 8 students X 6 images + 4 portraits = 52 photos. Each student has contact sheets of all their images. Now they have to pick 6 images that we will print at the local photo shop and mount at the clinic. Because they worked together in and around the clinic, many of them have images of the same people/things. The idea is for them to work as a group to choose the 6 best images from each student's work. Did i mention this is like herding cats?..... They also have to pick a name for their exhibition. That was the easy part: Fotos de los ninos de la Casa Campesina




And they have to shoot their 'artist portraits'; each team will photograph another team and vice versa.

Dia 4: Scavenger hunt & worm's eye view

Day 4 Nov. 23: Today we went on a photographic scavenger hunt around the neighborhood: find something red, find the # 17, find something round, find a chicken, etc. 13 items in all and everybody found them! And it didn't take very long; what took the longest was rounding everybody up to go back to the clinic. Herding cats...


Socorro helps herd the cats...

Lesley and Christian find something blue


Find a phone booth

They find the #17 on a license plate

Teresa directs Eva

And some of the results:

Ana's stairs
Hector and Jorge's church
Lesley and Christian's # 17
Teresa and Eva's blue door

The scavenger hunt pictures have been downloaded and contact sheets made. Next up: pretend you're a worm on the floor with a camera:

Dia 3: Colors and Reportage

Teresa, Eva







Hector, Jorge










Day 3 Nov. 20: Photograph something blue, or green, or red. They did the assignment in a flash so we moved onto something a little meatier. Pretend you're a reporter and you are doing a piece on the clinic. Show us what goes on here. That took a little longer. As we go along, each students chooses 2 or 3 shots from each assignment which we print, along with a contact sheet. These will come in handy later on, when they will edit their work for exhibition.
Teresa, Eva: Docha
Lesley, Christian: La clinica
Lesley, Christian: La directora Janet
Monce, Ana: El maestro de musica
Teresa, Eva: MY STORY photo class
Hector,Jorge: Beta in action

Dia 2: Body Parts & Motion

Jorge catches drama teacher Beta in mid-sentence.
Hector snaps Jorge in mid-flight
Christian does the same for Lesley
Ana, Eva, Monce

Day 2 Nov. 18: Today the kids are photographing movement, a permanent condition for most of them! Then it was make a portrait of someone without showing his/her face. Nat and I learn the word for 'blurred': borroso.

Lesley, Christian
The strap, boys, the strap!
Laura looks at photos