When we arrived at Eko, we knew that we would face some chaos; our main concern was to work with the children and keep them interested; from our first visit we know that the attention spans were low and that attendance to any class would be fluctuating.
After a few days that included basic morning meditation to get the day started, I embarked on giving photo classes. I started with a group of 5 boys, ages 11-14 (the class eventually grew to 9). With 2 digital cameras in hand, I began teaching them the basics of exposure, composition, and light. Selfies and poses were deleted immediately and I encouraged them to explore their familiar surroundings with the camera. After class I would pick a handful of images and make postcard size prints, which we would analyze at the beginning of class the next day. The speed at which they absorbed and applied all the information along with the talent they showed was remarkable.
At the end of our month-long stay we assembled an exhibition at Eko; the show would eventually travel to the Betty loves Bryan Gallery in Whitstable, UK and to Sao Paulo, Brasil.
