Photography Workshop

Stephanie Roberts is a familiar and a very welcome sight at Koseli. From April 13th to April 19th, she was busy teaching what she is best at doing - photography. Stephanie conducted the photography workshop for the children of Koseli.

Stephanie is a documentary photographer and author by profession. Her work was recently featured on Forbes.com and LIFE.com and she recently published a new book, "The Art of iPhoneography: A Guide to Mobile Creativity." Stephanie runs a non-profit organization called Lens on Life, through which she conducts photography workshops for

underprivileged children in different countries. 

The idea behind the workshop was to expose the children to photography as a career option. We plan to conduct workshops in various fields. So when they grow up, they will know which field suits them best. And the photography workshop was the first in this series.

Almost 20 children were initially introduced to photography and finally 8 of them were selected for more in depth instruction. These children then, under Stephanie’s guidance, each shot and processed hundreds of photographs using iPhone cameras and apps in a variety of settings, in the days that followed. Each day was a better day, each idea was a better idea, and each shot was a better shot. 

The children developed keen interest in the subject and they absorbed every word that was said during the 7-day workshop. They were quick to understand and precise in following the directions. Soon they were scouting clues like lines and light in the subjects they shot. Looking at the final results, it was difficult to imagine that the photographers are 13-14 year-old kids.

The beauty of the whole workshop was that the workshop didn’t end there as their teacher thought that they needed more practice and further refinement in their art. Thus it was concluded with the “to be continued” approach.

Stephanie will now e-mail them their monthly assignments and towards the end of the month she will scrutinize their photographs and share comments with them online. Through Lens on Life, the children's photography will soon be shared with viewers around the world.

However, Koseli doesn’t yet have an internet connection, but hopefully we will have it soon and then resume our photography workshop.

For more details on the workshop, please visit www.lensonlife.org