Three days of Photographic Exploration in Manzanillo del Mar
Ten students from a small pueblo called Manzanillo del Mar participated in a 3-day photo camp with Peace Corps volunteers Sarah Shaw and Francis Ramos. On the first day, they learned about the elements of design, vantage points and visual thinking strategies, and applied their knowledge to a photo scavenger hunt around town, where they also experimented with the camera. On the second and third day, they explored their family roots through a project called, "Here I Am." Below, are some photos from the scavenger hunt. One student even risked his life for the perfect "cara a cara" shot; he limped back to the classroom after getting kicked by an angry pig!
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The students began the project by brainstorming with their five senses and filling out a worksheet that explored their past, present and future. They chose a meaningful place at their home to photograph, commented on the vantage point, lighting and elements of design, and drew the exact composition for their partner. We made a video that combined the students' photographs with audio clips of their poems.
Four days of Photography in La Boquilla, Bolívar
In October 2014, Sarah Shaw and Francis Ramos led another four-day photography camp in La Boquilla, a peri-urban community between the city of Cartagena and the town of Manzanillo del Mar, encouraging groups of 15 motivated students to reflect on two important themes: family roots and the meaning of hope.
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Sarah wrote, "On the first day of the camp, we talked about elements of design, composition and visual thinking skills. After three PowerPoint presentations, filled with images that sparked interesting discussions, the students embarked on a photo scavenger hunt. They practiced utilizing the elements of design, such as the rule of thirds, finding repetition, playing with color and capturing movement, to name a few. They also took photos from various points of view, like bird’s eye, worm’s eye, and close-up. As an art teacher, this was one of my favorite parts of the project; the students were able to learn some photography skills, as well as exercise their creative and critical thinking skills, which doesn’t often happen in their regular classes." Check out the students' scavenger hunt photos below.
On the third day, after completing the "Here I Am" project, the students explored the theme "Hope." They brainstormed positive people, places or things in their lives that inspire them. One student photographed his grandmother's house, while another choose to photograph a series of books written by Afro-Colombian authors in the library. They wrote an acrostic poem to accompany their photo.
Photo Camp in Suan, Atlántico
Peace Corps volunteers Sarah Shaw, Danny Butterfoss and designer José Buendía led a camp together in the small town of Suan, located on the Magdalena River in the Department of Atlántico. Eighteen middle school students enthusiastically participated in this three-day camp. Below are some excellent photos from the scavenger hunt, where the students experimented with the elements of design and various photography techniques.
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The students learned how to structure and draw a composition and applied the skills they'd learned they day before to the project, "Aquí Estoy" or, in English, "Here I Am." Students worked in pairs to take the photographs, which were based on their drawings. Afterwards, the students used their brainstorming worksheets to write a poem.
4 Days of Photography in Piojó, Atlántico
Over a holiday weekend in the spring of 2015, Peace Corps volunteer Sarah Shaw led a photo camp with volunteer Tiara McCarty's students in Piojó, Atlántico, another small town located outside of Barranquilla. Below are some photos from the scavenger hunt, where the students experimented with the camera and documented scenes from their community.
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Students in Piojó also participated in the "Aquí Estoy" / "Here I Am" project, where they photographed themselves in a special place at their home and wrote a poem based on their family roots. Because Piojó is such a small community, some students don't live in the center of town, but on farms located 45 minutes away by moto. Because they were not able to go back to their house to take the photo, I let them choose a place in the town or school that was important to them.
On the third day, the students completed a different project focusing on self-esteem and body image, titled, "Partes de mi" or "The Skin I'm In." First, they brainstormed about their favorite part of their body: why it's important, what it looks like, what it allows them to do, etc. Then they drew their composition and had their partner take their photo. Lastly, they wrote a paragraph about their body part.
The last day! Tiara bought bananas for everyone.
A Photo Camp in Campo de la Cruz, Atlántico
Peace Corps volunteer Sarah Shaw led a photo camp with volunteer Sarah Hinton's youth group in a dusty, humid town outside of Barranquilla, called Campo de la Cruz. Due to limited community space, the photo camp took place in a center for elderly people (in case you were wondering why there are so many photos of old men from the scavenger hunt.)
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Once again, students in Campo de la Cruz completed the "Aquí Estoy" / "Here I Am." However, we were presented with an unexpected problem. Four years ago, a flood devastated many houses. Some of the students were reluctant to photograph their home since their families had not yet been able fix the destruction. Despite this, all 20 students participated with enthusiasm, in both the photography and written portion.
On the third day, the students also completed "The Skin I'm In" project. Here are a few photos portraying, arms, hands eyes and legs.
"The Skin I'm In" in Santa Marta, Magdalena
In July 2015, Sarah Shaw led a 3-day photo camp with Peace Corps volunteers Ashley Huebscher, Elisabet King and a group of students that play baseball and study English at a foundation on the outskirts of Santa Marta. This group consisted of 20 students aged 8-12, a bit younger than usual. We taught in the open air at the foundation, located on a beautiful plot of land with the director's house and a number of fruit trees and garden space. The students loved learning about photography, experimenting with the camera, roaming through the gardens and working on their project, "The Skin I'm In." Below are some photos from the scavenger hunt.
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Here are some photos from the project, where the students chose their favorite body part, photographed it and wrote a paragraph about why it's important to them.
In action!