Photo Credit: A'Niya Payne
Every year the Yoder Center in Lynchburg, Va., offers summer-camp programs for elementary-age children. These are opportunities to explore the city, meet new friends, experience adventures, and discover treasures in their own neighborhoods. Staff members introduce campers to tours, athletic programs, and art. One project is Picture My World, based on Duke University’s “Literacy through Photography.”
This Summer at the Center program took place in 2013. At the same time a sustainable neighborhood plan was being developed, in which adults were questioned on topics ranging from infrastructure to recreational opportunities. The decision was made to use the Summer at the Center program to get a youth perspective of the community. Partially sponsored by the Center for Community Development and Social Justice at Lynchburg College, 30 participants—ages 6 to 11—were instructed on photography basics, including action shots, camera angles, lighting, shadowing, and camera movement. Children were also given tips on potential photography pitfalls, like putting a finger over the lens, using the flash improperly, or failing to include faces in each shot. To keep track of the cameras, numbered cameras were issued to participants that coincided with the program roster.
Surprising Results
Disposable cameras were released to the children with instructions to take photos of whatever they wanted to capture at home and return by a certain deadline. The developed photos were astounding: humorous, telling, and touching. The photos included trophies won, endearing self-portraits with family members, a play set in the yard, and a slobbery dog. Other photos told different stories—ones the photographers didn’t intend to tell: rooms lacking essential pieces of furniture commonly found in most homes, beds without frames, sparsely filled kitchen cupboards, and unsealed household cleaners. Photos were then distributed, and participants were shown how to improve their techniques before given the next task. This time, instructions were tied to the sustainable neighborhood plan.