There are just two weeks to go until board participant Cristina Sacco and I depart Canada and head to Uganda for the fourth Cameras For Girls in-person workshop. The workshop will provide training to sixteen young women seeking to break down gender-based barriers in obtaining paid jobs in the communications and journalism sectors.
We are delighted to say, “Uganda, here we come again!”
Planning and Preparation
A lot of work is done in the background, for example, cooperating in conjunction with Makerere University and Uganda Christian University to attract students. They assist us in sharing our detailed application, which will require students to write through an essay, why they believe that they believe that the Cameras For Girls program will aid them in achieving their goals in life. We also review other important statistics to assist us in narrowing down the list of applicants. We received more than 50 applications this year. I would love to take all of them, however the current lack of funds hinders this from taking place.
The remainder of the day, looking over the photos of students in a group. The constructive critiques help students learn from one another and figure out the ways to improve.
The second day begins off to a good start when we go through a review of the triangle of exposure. I walk around the room and ask the students on the things they remembered from. They receive a prize from me for repeating the lessons, and it makes it enjoyable for everyone.
Then, we will discuss four common compositional errors and 6 methods in telling stories with photography, and then the art of photography (framing leading lines, framing, etc. ).
After our lunch break after lunch, we conduct another practice session. We practice using shutter priority. I will work with a handful of students at a time to teach “panning,” which is when you lower the speed of your shutter and then move the camera left to right or left right to record your subject in slow-motion or raise your shutter speed in order to freeze your subject in motion. This is great for photography of sports or even people in motion.
When we are done with the day, we gather to look over each other’s photos as a team so that they can gain from one another. It’s a great exercise.
Day 3 is the final day of our live workshop in which the girls learn about using their brand new cameras.
On the third day, girls are taught to completely “manual” on their cameras. Since day one, we slowly teach them to use the exposure dials and stay away from “auto,” which is an option for beginners. But, if they do this, there’s absolutely no reason to take our course since they will not be able to learn anything about photography.
We also discuss ” Ethical Photography and Informed Consent,” which I speak to anyone who’s willing to listen, particularly my students. As photographers, journalists, documentarians, photographers, and others, it is our duty to document our surroundings and the people we’re blessed to photograph in a way that is ethically feasible. Additionally, they should be taught how to conduct themselves in a timely manner so as to ensure their safety and keep their subjects harmed.
The term “ethical” photographic practice and informed consent implies that you portray the subject as truthfully and authentically as you can as you consider their situation and contexts. For instance, if I am working with refugees in camps, I do not release my images to the world because they have been hurt and afflicted with unacceptably human suffering. My images should not cause harm to them, but rather change how we see the world. Also, we must be aware of abandoning this “colonial mindset” of the work and highlighting the real people who are the heroes in this work that is being done in the developing world. A informed consent signifies that you’ve explained the purpose of the pictures and the location they will be displayed. The subject may not speak English or know the language of your subject. By using translators, I’m diligent in explaining my work as well as the reason for it, and the location and manner in which their images will be displayed, and only after that do I ask for their consent. It’s a valuable lesson to be taught that will serve the girls as they move forward in their career.
We conclude the day with special guests from the photography and journalism industries who reside and work within the local community, and an end-of-day review of the photographs taken throughout the course of the day.
