Photo albums may sound like an old-fashioned
idea but actually it is a great way to collect and consider any myriad of subjects;
be it people and places or collecting thoughts, ideas and reflections.
This workshop can be adapted for any age
or ability but they aim to engage with participants life, be it times past or
lives present, be it simple pleasure or more serious consideration; by engaging
with the collecting together of images a participant must engage on some level
with thoughts, ideas and memories. It stops a quick and fleeting process
and becomes one of choice and consideration.
The focus can be on ‘re-visiting’ photos
that have already been taken, thinking about these and reflecting, but it can
also be used to collect and reflect on things or issues that are around
you. For some of these other ideas please look at Interests and Memories and also, perhaps
particularly good for teenagers, About Me Photo workshop projects which
could be photo albums but also work well for making posters and or montages.
I think a
photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because
it makes you see the world rather than just look at it. ~Author Unknown
The below example is of a group of
people with learning difficulties; this group meets regularly and often go on
outings. Deborah ran a workshop over a number of weeks that both
re-engaged with the many photos they had whilst encouraging the addition of
pictures of favorite items, drawing and generally personalising their
albums.As Deborah is also a
professional photographer she shot a portrait of each participant, this is
something that many people enjoy but rarely get the chance to do.
(Deborah also runs projects that purely focus on making photographic
portraits of the participants; it may not seem obvious but it is a popular and
engaging process for everyone that is involved.)
When each page was complete the
participants then went ahead and sewed the albums together using a simple
Japanese sewing system. They all managed this with a little help and were proud
of their achievements in the end.The
photo albums then became personal possessions that incorporated a great cross
section of their interests, their daily lives, some events and outings, their
friends and also some recent and special pictures of themselves.
To see a documentation of this project please click the frame below
