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Just a glimpse of the exciting work our Gambian ‘Photos Tell Stories‘ photography workshop students are producing…and this is only day two: portraiture
Find out what ‘Photos Tell Stories: teaching photography – a visual language‘ is all about
Photographer/Tutor: Jason Florio
Workshop Producer: Helen Jones-Florio
We have just completed day two of ‘Photos Tell Stories, teaching photography – a visual language‘. Our Gambian students have been sent home early with their Fujifilm digital cameras – their assignment is to shoot their interpretation of ‘home’; taking on board everything that Jason has taught them so far over the last two days. When they return to the classroom tomorrow, we will review and edit their images with them.
Yesterday, we told the students that Jason would be teaching them about portrait photography today. So, we asked the students to wear something that they would like to be photographed in – to dress in way that they felt truly represents who they are. Friday being a big prayer day, here in a predominantly Muslim country, many Gambians wear very traditional outfits. What most of the girls turned up was their take on the traditional outfit – African prints with a Western twist. The style and colors were couldn’t have been better for the photographs that they took of each other!
I’ve been documenting Jason over the last couple of days – him working with the students – and, I’ve pulled together just a few of these images and made an album for our Photos Tells Stories Facebook page, which you can check out here.
We’ll be showcasing the work of our students over the coming days – we definitely have more than one or two budding photographers in the classroom.
Thanks for stopping by!
The Florios (Helen & Jason)
Workshop Photographer: Jason Florio
Workshop Producer: Helen Jones-Florio
Recent press – via SLATE mag – HuffPost Arts & Culture features our ‘River Gambia Expedition – 1044km source-sea African odysse‘ . Images © Jason Florio
For more press, please visit our Press page
Late night edits for Mr Florio. We are seeing some fine work from our Gambian students on their first day of Photos Tell Stories. These kids are catching on fast – taking on board what Jason explained to them about composition and technique, before we handed over the cameras to them yesterday.
Today Jason will be teaching the art of portrait photography – with each student photographing each other. Tonight, Jason and I will no doubt have another late night of uploading and looking at the students images produced today, so that we can cover editing with them in tomorrows class.
If yesterdays work, from the students, is anything to go by, we look forward to another late night!
More updates soon…
The Florios (Helen & Jason)
Photographer/Tutor: Jason Florio
Workshop Producer: Helen Jones-Florio
Our first day with the Gambian students for the inaugural ‘Photos Tell Stories. Teaching photography – a visual language‘ gave us a good insight into how each of them use the camera – how they see things.
Jason Florio started with a brief history of photography by showing the students various photographers work, throughout the decades. He covered studio and environmental portraiture, landscape, and the power of telling stories through reportage and documentary photography; along with exploring photographic techniques with the students.
Jason also included work from our contributing professional photographers – many of whom graciously provided us with images that represent ‘home‘. As an assignment, we will be sending the students home with their cameras tomorrow to produce work that represents ‘home‘ to them. It will be interesting to see what they come back with.
We both really enjoyed our first day with the students – they were curious, engaged, and eager to learn – and, looking at the work they have produced so far, there are definitely one or two who appear to have a natural talent with the camera. More on that soon…
Tomorrow we’ll be looking at portraiture photography, in a formal setting, with the students taking portraits of each other. So, please check back again to see how they get on.
Thanks for stopping by.
The Florios (Helen & Jason)
Check out more of Jason’s photography at floriophoto.com
You may also ‘like‘ our Photos Tell Stories FB page or ‘follow‘ us on Twitter
Big thanks to 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
PHOTOS TELL STORIES - documentary | filmmaking | photography | people | travel 