June 14, 2013

A Backpack Journalist’ Photojournalism Camp at The Showcase School of Photography kicked off with PIE – Photography Icebreaking Experience!  What’s a photography icebreaker?  It’s when teens interview each other, then draft a few paragraphs about the person that they have just met and interviewed!  Next, public speaking exercises, and each youth is introduced to the group!  Hats?  Where do they fit into this?  It’s all about choosing a hat that best describes the new friend and then the digital cameras are handed out!

Check out our flickr account for a quick look at the wide assortment of great photographs that each backpacker took of each other!

So that’s how the camp began, and the week continued with Photography Assignments that included a simple walk through the parking lot, with cameras in hand, and then shooting all types of plants, bugs found on plants and even signage and trucks passing by.  One of our backpackers even convinced a local barber shop to let our backpackers in!

Each day following we went on a short field trip.  First to Lumiere Gallery, one of the finest collections of photography in the United States. Some refer to a visit to Lumiere as a “Classical experience” and a place where the Gallery Director is always willing to share with the visitor details on the photograph, the artist and in general the “life surrounding the making of the photographic art!”.  This visit was a true education for all of us!  More on our visit to Lumiere in a separate article with photos. Lots of note taking, and a special interview with Tony.  Ms. D even managed to capture in via our recorder so Daniel can add it to our radio show.

Back to the classroom and to learn more about the Camera and all the key components of a “Great Photograph!”

The Atlanta Botanical Gardens followed next, and in spite of the summer heat, we covered the gardens and the mosiac sculptures!  By then, our media cards were filled with upwards to several thousand photos, including Rabbits, dragons and lots of photos of the smallest of all – ladybugs!  More also on our visit to the Botanical Gardens!

And – just in time, we spent time at CBS Atlanta, and then had lunch at THE VARSITY!  Each of these places along the way, provided our team of backpackers with a new experience and furthered their education on Journalism and the opportunity out there for us as we grow through high school and prepare for colelge. (as Backpackers).

We are working now to complete our Portfolio books,and to write each day up in detail!  More to come!

A Backpack Journalist was one of TEN national youth support programs (workshops and camps) to be selected for an interview with Dr.John Mayer.  His program is featured on www.webtalkradio.net.

Listen in the week of June 3, 2013 to June 7, 2013 for Dr. John Mayer - the “Teen Doc’s” interview with Linda Dennis, Program Manager for A Backpack Journalist.

This is a  special broadcast of the radio show: Troubled Teens: The Fix onwww.WebTalkRadio.net.  Following this week, the program will be archived as well as a podcast and easily accessible from the Internet.

Look for Dr.John Mayer link off www.webtalkradio.net

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Summerfest – Virginia Highlands Civic Association Festival

Kidsfest!

June always brings in the warm weather, and this year it was no exception!  Lots of children from babies to toddlers to tweens and their parents visited the Kidsfest, and here they found face painting, puppets, sand art, and lots of wood crafts to do!  There was alot of “nailing” going on!

The Festival Stage was filled daily with local dance companies and youth bands performing live!  Green-shirted volunteers spent hours painting faces and passing out water!

A Backpack Journalist was there!  We had a great time with the babies, the toddlers and pre-schoolers!  Plus, loved watching the faces of the children as they took the photo print and looked at themselves!  See below!

Brother & Siste

We brought in our selection of hats and props that we offer to teens during a photography/writing workshop.

Teens enjoy picking a hat, and becoming a Cowboy or Princess,  or a Sea Captain or a Viking, a Fireman, perhaps a younger child would also?    And, they did.  It was hard to pick a favorite hat – but it was the motorcycle helmet, the Viking hat,  the Princess tiara, Cowboy hats, Fireman and guitar that seemed to receive the most attention!  Many a child strummed the guitar, while smiling.

Midtown – “Ponce” Location Home Depot Employees!

Kudos go out to the Home Depot team – Midtown store – “Ponce”!  We understand that they have “Captains and Assistant Captains” who often volunteer to support these types of Festivals, and judging from the crowded tables and the happy faces, they were a success.  Also, in our photo area, one parent even commented:  ”I did not know that Home Depot offered this to kids in their stores.  I took my son one Saturday, and was prepared to step in and help him.  But nope, did not need to!  The Home Depot employees did it all, and well!”

All in all, we took over 500 digital images, and have uploaded about 300 up to our Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/backpackjournalist/sets/72157633891575574/

Attention parents:  if you wish to receive the JPEGS, please visit our flickr and send us an email to

INFO@abackpackjournalist.com and note the number!  WE are most happy to send you the jpeg!

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June 1, 2013

No writing experience required.  That’s right.

Book Cover

A Backpack Journalist – teachers have assembled a guide to becoming a “Citizen’s Journalist!” and achieve “News Literacy”.

What’s that to you?  In our world of fast changing news, the Internet and Social Media, just how do you take it all in – and make sense of it.  Should you or should you not, set up a blog, write a letter to the Editor when a community matter is of most importance to you?  What’s the best way to communicate – via a written letter, email, tweet or ?

A Backpack Journalist’ guide has been assembled to help with these decisions, and to provide you with step by step instructions to follow.

This guide will also help define the words:  ”News Literacy”.   What’s this you ask?  How can you as a private citizen, often dealing with limited time and in our  fast paced world, make the determination between facts and fiction?  Is it the reporter’s personal opinion, or facts?

This book will be available for shipping October 1, 2013!  $24.95 each/shipped via priority mail.

All reserved copies/prepaid orders receive a free coupon for a 20-page A Backpack Journalist Portfolio, 20-page photo book in color.

Follow this link to reserve your copy!

JUNE 1 to JUNE 2, 2013: – come join our team of “Backpackers” in the KIDSFEST – DOWN ON THE FARM area, located at the streets:  Arcadia and Virginia Ave.  We will be bringing in our “hats” and offering free postcard photos of the kids, plus putting a digital camera into the hands of these “kids” and sharing a short lesson (or two).

Each “kid” will choose their own hat to wear, and at the same time, take a few photos of another!  It’s all about sharing “Backpacks” quick tips for great photography and our love of capturing moments to remember!   The Showcase School of Photography is helping bring this together for the “backpackers”, and providing lots of neat background equipment.

Other activities for kids include:  Puppetry, Face Painting, Sand Art and Wood Working projects by Home Depot.  There is a stage with ongoing entertainment from 10 am to 3:30!

Summerfest includes an artist’s market, lots of food vendors and music and other events!

For more information, please visit the Virginia Highlands Civic Association Website:

http://vahi.org/summerfest/events/

May 30, 2014

Atlanta based workshops beginning June 10 – 14 and June 24-28 to be held at The Showcase Camera School of Photography will include a field trip to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

It’s all about “Imaginary Worlds – Plants Larger than Life!” and it’s the first time showing of this exhibit in the United States, created by the International Mosaiculture of Montreal.  Workshop students will spend the day capturing images and creating their first Portfolios.  The assignment?  To tell the story of these incredible sculptures through photography.  Each student will then create their on in color, printed Portfolio. Read on!

The link here will take you to the Atlanta Arboreteum and further information on this exhibit.  It continues through October, 2014.

http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events/imaginary-worlds

About Mosaiculture

Each sculpture is a living, sophisticated evolution of the traditional “stuffed topiary” technique. Thousands of meticulously groomed annuals are planted into soil-and-sphagnum moss filled netting covering the steel forms – hidden works of artisanship themselves – to carpet the skeletons in colorful patterns. Complex irrigation systems beneath the surface of the sculptures allow the plants to grow – and the creatures to flourish – in Atlanta’s summer heat. The larger than life sculptures are transported in climate-controlled trucks.

The exhibition of mosaiculture – the horticultural art of creating giant topiary-like sculptures using thousands of annual bedding plants to carpet steel armature forms – is the creative genius of International Mosaiculture of Montreal. The nonprofit group has staged wildly successful exhibitions of its work around the world, and the Atlanta showing will be the first major exhibition of its kind in the U.S.

http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events/imaginary-worlds

June is PTSD Awareness month!  Follow this link to the Veterans Administration Website!

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/about/ptsd-awareness/ptsd_awareness_month.asp

May 12, 2013

A Backpack Journalist Workshops & Camps always close with a special multimedia or video presentation of the youth’s work that include examples of their photography (portraits, serious and not so serious) and  of their essays and writings.

Now, each youth will also receive a full-color “E” book – PORTFOLIO and a printed PORTFOLIO  of the experience as well.

Portfolio Book – Example
full-color examples of each student’s work!

This A Backpack Journalist Portfolio will provide each youth and their family a “picture book” and a record of the youth’s work and accomplishments.

As well, this Portfolio may be used when submitting information and examples of the youth’s work for college or other type of school applications.

A Backpack Journalist further supports the Portfolio with an on-line website that will house all of their youth’s work and Portfolios in an “E” book.  Each youth will receive ONE printed Portfolio with a workshop/camp registration and/or supply fee.  Additional Portfolios in print will be available on line, as well as the “E” book.

Additionally, the Portfolio will also be used when the “Backpackers” are credentialed as press to COVER THE ASSIGNMENT.  Upcoming?  The Points of Light Conference in Washington, DC, June 20-23, 2013, and also the Workshop/Camp to be held at Cantigny Place, Wheaton, Illinois.

For more information about A Backpack Journalist – Workshop/Camps, please visit our Curriculum Link on http://www.abackpackjournalist.com/workshopscamps/

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Live near Washington, DC!  IF so be sure and check out the listing of films showing this year at the GI Film Festival.

We will see you there next year – as we are now working on our first short!

http://www.journalism.ku.edu/ptsd-stream