Photography a Child Empowering Medium

Photography is a medium that relies upon an individual's skills and capacities; society is the stage upon which it finds definition.  Camera in hand the photographer steps onto the stage, and we the viewer, gaze upon him. The roaming eye of the photographer invites us into his/her private world and the public spaces into which he/she ventures. 

Photographic Practice is a name we have chosen for an empowering process, tantamount to a social strategy, whereby possibilities of varied experiences are increased through the act of photography.

The fundamental principles are:
The camera – a user-friendly device;
The connection between life and photography;
The photograph – a window onto a dreamscape of conversations, laughter and freedom;
The saga of childhood and the pivotal position of the child in family – the primordial nucleus of society;
The promotional quality of photography: increasing capacities, empowering and elevating a child within his/her immediate surroundings;
The ability of children to collectively inspire local communities within a participatory and sustainable local development paradigm.

Photographic Practice is an attempt to expand life experiences through the magic of photography, through the children's world of hope and imagination. Photographs as pieces of the world frame human, social, economic, and cultural conditions. They act as "mirrors" reflecting the children's personal lives and "windows" opening onto the world that surrounds them. It is through the photographic act that they transition from "looking" to "seeing". Working with a group of children, our approach rests upon group learning, social literacy, and documentary photography. Children take pictures with snapshot cameras given to them. Group participation finds expression in joint examination of their pictures. Life experiences are revisited through written or spoken words. Personal narratives may develop around central themes through photographs and taking notes. Joys and sorrows are revealed. The child is accompanied through these experiences.

Photographic Practice is a multi-substrate method for participant observation and evidence-making intervention, as an instrument or act for promoting the quality of life and changing life conditions. Photographic Practice defines its strategic outlook within each locality based on the prevailing boundary and field conditions.