Today’s Camera Confidence group in Morriston have been looking at rubbish and thinking about how we can take a good photograph. The course is designed to make people look differently at the world around them and also give them the confidence to speak, share, and demonstrate new found skills to others.
Forcing us out of our comfort zones and making us work with complete strangers is a real challenge. Working in random pairs creates a situation where participants need to talk to each other about what they see, feel, and want from their photographs. It also empowers participants to feel more confident when faced with stressful situations such as job interviews or assessments where they are asked to demonstrate their abilities to others.
Pairing with strangers to photograph rubbish in a positive way made us all think about what stories these discarded things could tell. Telling stories, and saying what makes us happy about the things we find, automatically creates comfort. Talking about the photograph rather than talking about ourselves gives us all a chance to shine. Next week perhaps I’ll ask people to talk more about themselves in a positive way. I’m sure everybody here has the confidence to rise to the challenge.