Expect the Unexpected: Community Street Photography
What’s Going on in These Pictures?
WHAT:
Inspired by the Out of the Blocks podcast and Lens Cultures’ Guide to Street Photography, 45 middle school students split time over the course of the day to document the lives of neighborhood community members. The photographs were a culminating project of a two-week set of Inspire Citizens’ Photo!Bomb workshops ranging from black and white photography, to portraiture, to architecture.
WHY:
Connected to concepts of social cohesion, equity, and intercultural competence, learners explored and engaged with pathways for informed action around the Learning for Justice Social Justice Standards for middle school:
- Interact with people who are similar to and different from me, and show respect to all people.
- Show curiosity and want to know more about other people’s lived experiences in a nonjudgmental manner.
- Accurately and respectfully use photography describe and celebrate ways that people are similar and diverse.
- Work with friends and community members to make the world fairer for everyone, and plan and coordinate actions such as community photography experiences and exhibitions in order to achieve these goals.
HOW:
Photo!Bomb Street Photography: Look for and embrace the unexpected, candid moments of diverse lives. Develop an ability to find a sense of meaning within the mosaic of stories, faces, buildings, and movement in the streets. Ignite your creativity, for everybody has a story.