Day 1 - Introductions

Eight boys aged 14-17 living in an orphanage in the North Indian state of Rajasthan were today the second cohort to try their hands at using a camera for the very first time. When asked if they had been looking forward to the photography project they all nodded and laughed enthusiastically!

After playing some introductory name games and explaining the aims of the project to the young people the volunteers provided each boy with a digital camera and they set at discovering how to handle it; on, off, zoom, playback...all exciting new concepts!

The group getting to grips with their cameras.



It was then time for each young person to explore the orphanage grounds through their lens. Here are a few of the boy's favourite photos from the day and we think they are exceptional first attempts...

By Shankar, aged 15

By Ajay, aged 14

The young people were then left alone with the cameras for the evening and their homework was to get snapping, choose their favourites and write a short description detailing why they like the photo, what it means to them and how it makes them feel. The volunteers can't wait to see the images the boys have produced...

Tommorrows workshop: Cyanotype photograms using sun print paper.

Basti Ram would like to thank you for your support To find out more about the work we do or how you can get involved please visit www.bastiram.org email info@bastiram.org or call our UK office on +44 (0) 7515 857 865.

Katherine
bastiram.katherine@gmail.com

A Participatory Photography Project 2012

Basti Ram are very excited to be returning to their linked orphanage project in the North Indian state of Rajasthan to deliver 'Life Through the Lens' - A participatory photography project. This is the second cohort of local boys, who have never previously used a camera, to be given the opportunity to take part in the beginners stage of this project.

Volunteers from the UK have travelled to India to teach basic camera skills to boys aged 14-17. Over the course of the next two weeks they will be exploring different techniques and interesting themes which will enable the young people to build their skills base whilst documenting their lives in a creative way.

Many of the boys living in this orphanage go on to work in the local marble mines, a hazardous job involving numerous health risks. It is hoped that by being provided with the opportunities to learn real skills, alongside learning English through our year-round teaching projects, these boys will be in a better position to gain employment in the local tourist industry and experience improved life chances as a result.

Eight boys have been selected for the project and we are told by the ground staff that they are very eager to get started! We very much look forward to embarking on this project and are especially keen to meet and get to know the young people. Over the next two weeks we will be documenting the boys progress and selecting the most interesting photos to share with our supporters via this blog.

'Life Through the Lens' is a sustainable project spanning across 2012 and 2013. Our beginner participants will progress to intermediate and advanced photography projects in the near future. This will make way for more boys from the orphanage to learn how to use a camera...

If you would like to find out more about Basti Ram and the work we do please visit www.bastiram.org or email info@bastiram.org or contact our UK office +44 (0) 7515 857 865

Thank you for your support.

Katherine

Basti Ram's linked orphanage in the North Indian state of Rajasthan, home to some 80+ boys aged from 4 to 18 years of age.

The Exhibition

We have planned an exhibition to congratulate the boys and volunteers on all the hard work they have put in over the last few weeks and to celebrate the wonderful photographs they have taken.We have spent the last few days getting ready, having the photographs printed and mounting them on black card and then the morning of the exhibition the volunteers made 250 samosas which will distribute at the orphanage.



We held the exhibition in the recreation room at the orphanage and with the help of all staff and volunteers working on the different programmes we prepared the room, displaying the boys pictures and decorating with bright streamers. It was lovely to see the boys faces as they looked round the exhibition, so proud to see their photos and their friends up on the walls. The trustee of the orphanage also attended and gave great praise to the project

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After everyone had had a good look round they started to tuck in to our home made samosas. With everyone distracted we took down the pictures and created a book for each boy, with their two chosen photographs a portrait of them and their sunpaper which they made at the start of the project. Each volunteer presented this to their boys. 

It was a lovely end to an amazing few weeks. 

Descriptions

Every day we have asked the boys to choose their two favourite pictures from the session and to write a description about why they liked those pictures. Most of boys did this in Hindi, but a few decided to write in English and came up with some wonderful comments, not only about their photography but also how they view wider society. 

"I like this picture because...[it's] about Indian tradition. The Indian people come into the home [and] the shoes and slippers come off... I like this picture. This picture framing is very good." - Ashu 

"Today is [a] very good day. Today a new learning for camera. A new learn today is camera timeing set and automatic click the button. Today I catch the human being thing photo, happy, sad, etc. Photo is happy location, this photo is good framing. This picture sir is smiling face very good." - Hari Om

"I practiced catching myself in the mirror. It is in landscape" - Puran

[This] street is not complete and [there are] very dangerous holes on the street. Jumping on the street may [cause an] accident on bad street and trouble for people and wasted time. This situation in India [is] because [of] India's political man [does] not take responsibility" - Kanti

"I like this picture, it's looks on the boys swimming...the lake is very beautiful...they were [jumping from] a height ...[into] the water.! - Ramesh

The old man and the child. I think about a picture. When I was taking [this] photo [I thought that] the old man was smoking [and was] damaging his life, he has a bad habit. The man [is] throwing the bad effect on the young boy. I like this photo very much." Kanti 

Last day of clicking pictures

The project seems to have gone by in a flash; today was the boys last day to take photos as we will be spending all of tomorrow selecting their pictures for the exhibition which will take place on Friday. The first task of the day was for the boys to take a picture of something which they felt symbolised India.

Photo by Ajit

Photo by Hari Om

Photo by Lalit

Photo by Vinod

The final photography activity for these boys was a treasure hunt. While they were busy taking their India photographs the volunteers compiled a list of objects from around the building (rain meant we couldn't venture outside) which they had to find and take a picture of.

Photo by Durga

Photo by Gajendra

Photo by Kanti Lal

Photo by Raveen

Day seven - Favourites

We have noted a marked improvement in the boys approach to taking photos in the last week, but they are still struggling to think creatively about what they want to show in their photographs, so in today's activity we asked them to choose one object or scene which represented something important to them. They had to take ten photos of that one object/person using all the different techniques they learnt last week (use of colour/black and white, framing, landscape/portrait etc.). 

Below are some of the boys pictures of their favourite things. 

'The hostel'. Photo by Ashu

'Reading'. Photo by Durga

'Cricket'. Photo by Gajendra

'Shoes'. Photo by Hari Om

'Cricket'. Photo by Kanti

'Reading'. Photo by Kamash

'Food'. Photo by Kanti

'Writing'. Photo by Kanti Lal

As well as seeing a vast improvement in their ability to take photos this project is also benefiting the young people with their English. Every day the boys have to write about their two favourite photographs, some write in Hindi, but some boys are writing wonderfully eloquent pieces in English (more on this to follow). Just having to speak English on a daily basis is making a big difference, the staff from the project here in India are noticing the change.


"They have opened up a lot, they now have the confidence to speak English" - Guarav

Day six - An outing

"One day I want to be on the Discovery Channel. I love nature and I love taking pictures of beautiful landscapes" - Kantilal 


Our day started bright and early this morning, we headed out at 7:30 to pick up the boys from the orphanage and take them on a trip where they could practice everything they have learnt during the week. Amazingly all 21 boys and a driver fit in a 4 x 4 and we made our way to a local rural community.

Photo by Dilip 

Photo by Gajendra

Photo by Gameer

Photo by Lalit

After a while of taking pictures in the community we headed to a local tourist spot, a lake a few miles out of the city for a picnic and more photo practice.

Photo by Kaldeep

Photo by Kamash

Photo by Lalit