Telling a story through imagery - Sony Foundation Christmas Camp

This is a follow-on from a post I made late last year where I discussed my involvement in the Sony Foundation Christmas Camp hosted by Launceston Church Grammar School. Since making that post, I had collated the images and produced two photo books which were presented to the school to be held at both Junior and Senior campuses. Photo books are a fantastic way to capture feelings, events, a way of life or occupation and provide easy and ready access to revisit and share those memories. If any families of those involved stumble on this and would like to purchase one of these, please contact me through my website.

Now that I have approval to share the images from this weekend, I would like to post a couple and talk about the scene. The first day was very hot with clear blue skies. As I have discussed in previous posts, this made shooting a little difficult to accurately expose the face without blowing out highlights elsewhere in the image. I chose not to use a flash due to the imposing and sometimes uncomfortable effect it can have on an individual.

Many of the images I was able to capture were candid and required a eye for composition and quick reflexes to capture the shot. I walked around with my 50 mm 1.8 lens due to its light weight and fast aperture allowing for quick utilisation. The above photo was one of these opportunistic shots. Lying down on the first day but keeping a very close eye on what is happening around him. A shot that would have benefited from fill flash. Luckily my camera's dynamic range allowed me to raise the shadows to bring out the detail in the face.

The following image is one of my favorites.

This young man is quite well known in Tasmania and through his parents and the help of the wider community, they aim to break stigmas, barriers, and raise awareness of the condition he and others share. Please head to his website and support their efforts.

Just Like Jack

A comment from his site reads "(he) is the happiest young man you’ll meet". Whenever I was in a position to photograph him with or without his companion, he was always smiling a beautiful smile. He definitely left his mark on the team and Year 12 students.

This next photo was one taken of the young man in a golf buggy. Golf buggies were the highlight of most campers and are a welcome attraction every year.

I really like how this image was framed. Using the arm and body of his companion. This draws the viewer straight to the face of this young man. The smile really shows his excitement of what lay ahead.

This image, I feel, depicts the essence of the weekend and what the Christmas Camp is all about. The image portrays the caring nature the Year 12 companion (in orange) has towards her camper shown in her facial expression. Likewise, it tells of the trust the camper already has for her companion a few hours into the first day. Laying a hand on the shoulder is symbolic of support and trust, something this image, I feel, portrays really well.

Though I could add a lot more, I will leave it at four of my favorite shots of the first day. It is amazing the power of imagery in portraying a story of what happened. The power of imagery in portraying a story can not be under-estimated and spotting these situations and framing these accurately ensures this message is enhanced. It is just such a wonderful event.