This summer, I got a call from my boss/friend Scott. He asked me if I would be interested in taking some pictures of the closing ceremonies of an art camp his friend (AD) was hosting. The art camp was for a boys and girls club run by the Homeless Coalition. I was more than happy to help out.
Now, the coalition's facility is on Paramore, a street smack in the middle of a very rough/impoverished part of town. I mean, there was a man just straight peein' on the side of the road as I drove by. I was able to park inside the compound, which was nice, though rough territory really doesn't bother me that much.
Once inside the compound, I ran into Shawn Welcome, a local [amazing] poet that I know. He was teaching a poetry/spoken word workshop for the art camp, so he led me to the building where the festivities were being held. Upon entering the building I was met with a sea of children of varying ages. Hyper elementary schoolers, stand-offish teens and camp instructors doing their best to maintain order.
One of the first things I noticed was that I was a severe minority. Of the four white people I can recall seeing, one of the instructors and I were the only white males. Again, things like that don't bother me, but it is sobering being on that side of the table for once. I love it.
As soon as I pulled my camera from it's bag, a little boy of about seven or eight, shirt covered in dirt and eyes alight with the glory of God, began a volley of questions, each of which followed with a "Lemme do it!" As soon as I had my flash on the sync cord, I quickly turned my camera on him and snapped a shot. As soon as he saw the explosion of the flash, his desire to participate went through the drop ceiling. So, I showed him the pilot button and he went nuts. After holding his own little fireworks display and after multiple attempts to flash himself directly in the eyes, (most of which I was able to thwart) I let him hold the flash while I took a few shots.
(I wish I could show you the amazing shot I was able to get of this boy, but many of these kids come from at-risk homes and I do not want to reveal their identities without permission. However, you can see some of the kids on the program's website. Seriously, the love of God is spectacularly evident in these kids!)
The events went swimmingly. Kids took turns displaying the skills they have learned in the various workshops in which they were enrolled. There was rapping, African drums, poetry/spoken word, painting, guitar playing, even a room-wide rendition of the "Fresh Prince Theme." With each act ending to a roar of cheers and applause. (A glimpse of Heaven!) And at the end, each kid who participated was given an award certificate.
Oh, something I can show: the kids who participated in the art workshop painted a mural!
After the all the events were through, my little buddy came and found me as we were preparing to take a group photo. His mantra hadn't changed. So I draped the camera around his neck and showed him what button to press, and press it he did! I had left it on continuous shooting, so as long as he press the button, the camera continued to take pictures. Every time he took a picture, I literally had to pry his finger off the button after 5-7 pictures had fired off.
Once, the group photo was taken, I basically became a school portrait photographer. Luckily, I had my assistant. Every child wanted a picture! Some wanted a full portfolio! Natural models, they were. Snap, pose, snap, pose, etc. it's like they practiced beforehand. Some of the little guys were already heads and shoulders cooler and suaver than I could even hope to be.
Needless to say, this experience has had an extraordinary impact on me. I have experienced first hand, the dire needs of this city, and I have seen the Lord at work to fulfill these needs. I want to give a huge thanks to AD and his staff for letting me be a part of all this and I look forward to what God will be doing through this program in the future, and I would love to be a part of it!
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