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‘Photos Tell Stories’ workshop#1: Gambian photography students learn the art of portraiture with Jason Florio

‘Photos Tell Stories‘ photography workshop #1: The Kombos region, The Republic of The Gambia, West Africa – students were chosen from various senior secondary schools in the region

class_of_2014_MG_0021 — L-R: Aisha, Muhammed N, Helen Jones-Florio, Haryat, Ya Ida, MMuhammed S, Kadji, Omar, Lucia, Catherine, Florence © Jason Florio,

The students spent most the first day in the classroom with Jason Florio, P.T.S.’s photographer and tutor, where he covered the following topics: a brief history of photography; what is a photograph; portraiture; environmental portraiture; reportage; landscape photography (including showing the students images from all of our contributing photographers); guides and techniques; what makes a good photograph; rules of photography (rule of thirds, leading lines, etc.); lighting; editing. Lastly, how the students could share their world through photography.

We then went on to familiarize the students with the digital cameras (thank you to FujiFilm USA for their support):

KOMBO_STUDENTS_CAMARAS_MG_0010 — Image © Jason Florio

The students practice how to capture movement:

KOMBOS_JUMP_0013 — Image © Helen Jones-Florio

Following is a selection of work from the students – on the second day of the workshop – taken during their portraiture class:

The students with Jason Florio – image © P.T.S.’s workshop producer Helen Jones-Florio

class_of_2014_MG_0018 — Image © Helen Jones-Florio

To check out our ‘behind-the-scenes‘ album, please visit the ‘Photos Tell Stories’ FB page – where you can see the students and Jason Florio at work, during all the photography workshops.

FLO_STUDENTS_CAMERA_PTSIMG_4834 — ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ Jason Florio with the Kombos photography workshop students

Next up, we’ll be sharing the students images from ‘HOME’. After showing the students work from all our contributing photographers – Manjari Sharma; Amber Terranova; Amy Toensing; Sari Goodfriend; Ryan Heffernan; Ben Lowy; Stefan Falke; Oskar Landi; Thomas Donley; Brandon Remler; Wayne Lawrence; Chris Bartlett; Robert Goldstein; Henry Jacobson; Heloise Bergman – their assignment was to go and photography their interpretation of ‘HOME’ . They returned to the workshop the next day with some very interesting and inspired images. More on that very soon…

Other posts you might be interested in: ‘Teaching the art of portrait photography‘

Screen Shot 2013-12-14 at 1.43.23 PM — Sonia Pierre -Executive Director of the human rights organization, the Movement for Dominico-Haitian Women (Movimiento de Mujeres Dominico-Haitianas, MUDHA) © Jason Florio

Thank you for stopping by

The Florios (Helen & Jason)

FLO_HJF_Photville_Chris — Jason Florio & Helen Jones-Florio, Photoville, NY, 2013. Image © Chris Bartlett

Silicon Institute, Soma, The Gambia – ‘Photos Tell Stories’ students receive their photography workshop certificates

TEAM SOMA — ‘Photos Tell Stories’ students receive their workshop certificates Silicon Institute, Soma, The Gambia, West Africa

We have just returned from a very productive couple of days in the up-country regions of The Gambia, where we took ‘Photos Tell Stories: teaching photography – a visual language‘ on the road. And, the students we taught have produced some incredible images, of which we will share with you all on here very soon – once we have put an edit together. Speaking of editing…

Qcell soma — Jason Florio edits the Soma Institute students work – to show during the night program (thanks to QCell for the their contribution of the USB dongle and router – being constantly connected has made our job so much easier!) © Helen Jones-Florio .

fotocare thumbs — BIG thanks to Foto Care, NYC, we able to give every ‘Photos Tell Stories‘ workshop student a thumb drive to save their images on © Helen Jones-Florio

After each of 1-day ‘Photos Tell Stories’ workshops, in the evening the US Embassy Banjul team (our main partners – special thanks to Josh Shrager, Papa Njie!) would set up their cinema-sized inflatable screen in a main area of the village or town. In Soma we had a great program – projecting the students work onto the screen for all to see.

soma night shot2 — Soma comes out to see the Silicon Institute’s students photography – projected onto a cinema-sized inflatable screen. Images © Jason Florio

Using the sound system from the embassy, and DJ’ing West African vibes courtesy of one of our students – Alhasan Bah ( from the Silicon Institute), people were dancing and cheering throughout the screening – it was quite the celebration! We felt very humbled to have played a part in the excitement of the students seeing their images up there on the screen.

When the music stopped, we then screened our River Gambia Expedition footage. The audience seemed fascinated by the moving images of their country – along with Senegal and Guinea-Conakry – portrayed on the huge screen. I think we could have gone on all night!

Screen Shot 2014-01-17 at 11.40.47 AM — Youtube: ‘River Gambia’ – footage © Jason Florio & Helen Jones-Florio. Click on image or here to view

Check out the Silicon institute PTS’s workshop students images here

The Florios (Helen & Jason)

JEKKAH BAG1 copy — In partnership Fotwith the US Embassy, Banjul, The Gambia (tote bag design by ‘Jekkah’ Gambia)

‘Photos Tell Stories’ photography workshops are in Farafenni, The Gambia, West Africa

AMRC GUEST HOUSE_FARAFENNIIMG_5583 — Heading our from our lodgings to teach
Photos Tell Stories: AMRC Guest House, Farafenni © Helen Jones-Florio

Farafenni Senior Secondary School © Jason Florio

The first of our up-country Photos Tell Stories photography workshops is at Farafenni Senior Secondary High School. Big thanks to Musa Jallow for helping us set up today.

Now…on with the workshop!

Updates coming soon.

The Florios (Helen & Jason)

Photographer/tutor: Jason Florio

Workshop producer: Helen Jones-Florio

The Florios (Helen & Jason)

Lets get this show on the road! ‘Photos Tell Stories’ photography workshops goes up-country, The Gambia, West Africa

flo_road trip — Road trip! with Jason Florio and Helen Jones-Florio ‘Photos Tell Stories’ photography workshops, The Gambia Thanks to Mustafa for the ride.

We are taking ‘Photos Tell Stories’ up-country to villages around Farafenni and Soma. We’ll update on the workshops as soon as we can.

Thanks to ‘Jekkah – African inspired clothing’ for the the fab tote bags (see door of jeep)! And to Q Cell, Gambia for their contribution of the USB stick and router – which allows me to post this from the back of the jeep!

HJF coffe break — Helen – workshop producer – Coffee break in Sibanor, on route to Farafenni © Jason Florio

3 1/2 hours in Soma, waiting for the ferry to cross the River Gambia! © Jason Florio

After 3 1/2 hours of waiting in a mile long line, in 90+ degree heat, that wasn’t moving anywhere fast, enough was enough – plus, we did want to get to Farafenni today! – we decided to take the ‘fast track’, as we had watched many other vehicles doing, to the front of the line. You can deduce for yourselves what that means, but lets just say that it involved paying out more Dalassi than we intended to! And, then it was wacky races, with all of those other ‘fast trackers‘, to get to the ferry, and getting our rear tail light taken out by a gilly gilly (local minibus) in the process!

More news soon on the Photos Tell Stories workshops, here up-country .

Fonyato domanding!

The Florios (Helen & Jason)

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