2. In the summer of 2012, Las Fotos Project, in partnership with
Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC), facilitated
an intensive 5-day experimental photography program with
eleven girls from Koreatown and surrounding neighborhoods.
Participants, girls ages 14-18, learned about alternative
processing techniques, combination printing, extreme
exposures, and unusual filters.
They also learned about the main experimental photography
elements of composition which included color, radical
perspective, distortion, and extreme cropping.
3. Students used digital, 35mm film, Polaroid and experimental
cameras such as fisheye lenses and multiple lens cameras to
document the Koreatown community and their lives in their
respective neighborhoods.
They explored concepts such as self-perception, emotion, and
identity while creating collages and art pieces which reflected
these themes.
“Before this workshop, I had used my cell phone camera, but
never a real digital camera like the one Las Fotos Project let
us use. We even got to take photos with an old Polaroid
camera which was really fun. I knew what it was, but had never
seen one in real life.” - Alexandra, age 14
“My favorite part of the workshop was being able to express
my thoughts through my art and and photography. It was cool
to include other photographs too, from the magazines,
because I was able to create one large image that
represented what I felt.” - Jessica, age 15
4. The group worked together to create a zine which showcases
their photographs and mixed media collages. They also
explored creative writing techniques which helped them to
create poems and short stories for their work.
Also included in the zine is an individual project in which they
combined copies of their photographs documenting their
neighborhood and community members, and images and
words pulled from magazines and newspapers. With these
materials, they created large-scale works which give insight
into how they view themselves and the place they call home.
All work - the group zine and their individual collages - will be
on display at the Las Fotos Project culminating student
photography exhibit titled ESTE SOY YO. An opening
reception will be held on Thursday, September 13 from
6pm-10pm at (SUB) URBAN Home, 101 West 5th Street,
9013.
5. LINKS/RESOURCES
• To purchase the Las Fotos Project experimental
photography zine, visit www.lasfotosproject.org/zine
• To view images of the experimental photography
workshop, CLICK HERE
• To view images of the experimental photography zine,
CLICK HERE.
• To watch a clip of the experimental photography
workshop, CLICK HERE.
Las Fotos Project is a nonprofit, community-based program
empowering young Latinas through photography, mentorship,
and self-expression.
