I cannot say I was an innovator. Maybe I was just spontaneous, but anyway, the final result of a small experiment ended up being quite interesting. Very simple: inspired by a documentary I watched quite a while, called Born into Brothels, I simply gave my camera to a group of kids of the Namuwongo community. The results are worth an analysis and, why not, some considerations.

In my opinion, photography is the recording of a reality. The eye of the photographer decides what deserves to be registered and the elements that will be part of each photo. Banalities are set aside, whereas different motives and choices are behind each click. Instead of analyzing and letting the beauty of such exercise get lost, I am simply going to be the “curator” of this exhibit of children looks. And if one wants to comment, reflect or philosophy, the floor is open.

The important here is that this must have been the first time that those children have touched a digital camera. I did not give any explanation as to how the camera works. Even though, a few minutes later, they were already exploring the buttons, discovering how to work the zoom and check the pictures taken. They would pass the camera to each other being careful not to block the lens with their hands and afraid that I would get the camera back. Thus, during that half hour photographic experiment, they took more pictures than I did during a major part of my journey.

Just a reminder, our kids have their eyes well open to our plans for their future. If we neglect their needs, or if we fail to build a fairer society, they will be there, in a not-so-distant future, making the same criticisms that we do to the past generations. Maybe it is time to start changing the pictures that our children are taking of this world. Maybe this is the time to stop thinking about photos, videos and internet and start working to make the possible changes.

Below is the exhibit of some of these pictures:

9/25/2012 07:49:02 pm

Nice photography of slum children....I want to pass time with slum children........Thanx for your post.

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