We arrived in The Gambia, West Africa, early December, 2013, by invitation from the US Embassy, Banjul, to teach a series of photography workshop – ‘Photos Tell Stories: teaching photography – a visual language‘. Our aim was to show young Gambian students, between the ages of 13-20 years old, how to see their ‘home‘ – the villages and towns which they live – through the eye of a camera. And, more importantly, to show us – as guests on their home turf – how they viewed their environment and how they wanted it to be portrayed.
Jason Florio – photographer and workshop tutor – YMCA, Fajara, The Gambia, West Africa
After a morning in the classroom, where Jason took them through the history of photography – showing the work of renowned international photographers, past and present – and various techniques, we gave them the cameras and sent them out, to photograph. Most of the students had never used a camera, other than perhaps snapshots with their phones.
The workshops culminated in a very successful exhibition opening at Alliance Française, in May, in The Gambia – where around 200 people, including most of the students from all over Gambia, were in attendance, along with national media.
Looking back over the inaugural of ‘Photos Tell Stories: teaching photography – a visual language‘ workshops, which we taught earlier this year here in The Gambia, West Africa (thanks to the US Embassy, Banjul, for partnering with us). And, we can happily say that we are still as impressed by the quality of the young students photography – especially because almost all of them had never used a camera before.
‘Photos Tell Stories‘ photography workshop: The Kombos region, The Republic of The Gambia, West Africa – students were chosen from various senior secondary schools in the region.
A slideshow selection of work from the students – taken during their portraiture class with P.T.S.‘s photographer and tutor, Jason Florio, and their ‘Home‘ work assignment:
You may also like to check out our ‘Behind-the-Scenes‘ FB page, where you can see Jason Florio and the Photos Tell Stories students during the workshops.
‘Photos Tell Stories‘ – photography workshop in Kembujeh village, The Gambia: students were chosen from the Aila Senior Secondary School. Following is a slideshow selection of their images.
The culmination of the above workshops was an exhibition of sixty prints – ‘Photographs of The Gambia by Gambians‘ – one print from each student’s collection, at Alliance Française, in The Gambia. The attendance at the opening night far exceeded what we had hoped for – with national media coverage (TV & press).
BIG thanks to the US Emabssy, Banjul, for partnering with Photos Tell Stories
Student work
Photos Tell Stories Photography Workshops, The Gambia, West Africa
Kembujeh, The Gambia
Student work
Above – a small selection of some of sixty creative images from our young Gambian photography students, on exhibit at Alliance Française (until tomorrow, that is!), here in The Gambia, West Africa.
However, after a very successful exhibition opening night – with national tv coverage/media in attendance – and the subsequent two week run, tomorrow (Saturday 31st May), sadly, it’s time to take down the ‘Photos Tell Stories – photographs of The Gambia by Gambians‘ . However, we’ll pack our Gambian photography students prints with great care so that, perhaps, in the not too distance future, we can exhibit them again.
We’ll post more of the students work soon but, in the meantime, please check out the ‘Students Work‘ and ‘Behind-the-Scenes‘ pages, to what they got up during the photography workshops with myself and, photographer/tutor, Jason Florio.
And, if you are interested in hosting a Photos Tell Stories photography workshop, click here for more details.
Jason Florio (center),Helen Jones-Florio (right) with the Photos Tell Stories photography workshops students – exhibition opening night, Alliance Française, The Gambia, West Africa
Check out the ‘Photos Tell Stories – photographs of The Gambia by Gambians’ exhibition opening night on GRTS, at Alliance Française, The Gambia, West Africa. And, for those who can – and who haven’t yet made it down to AF – sixty prints, from our young photography students, will be exhibited until Saturday 31st May, 2014.
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