School to Jail Track

This powerful video sheds some light on the way that Colorado public schools handle discipline issues. 

Takehome point: Students are NOT criminals, unless you treat them that way. 

Video by www.vodafilms.com

School to Jail Track | Colorado from Noah Carlson on Vimeo.

Youth on Record at the Synergy School

Group image of Denver and the mountains.

Here are images from another light painting workshop with Flobots.org, this time at the Synergy School in Denver, Colorado. This residential treatment facility focuses on substance rehabilitation for teens. We worked with teenage boys, and they all really loved the process and final images.

Individual album cover

 As usual, we started with some group light graffiti and moved on to individual images. Students were welcome to invite friends to participate int their "individual" images, but they were required to be the "directors" and to tell the collaborators how to accomplish this vision.

Group image #1. Not bad for a first try, huh?!

 Youth on Record instructor Nathan Schmidt has been working with the boys, teaching them how to produce their own music. These images will be the album covers for their individual albums. These guys were super fun and the staff at the school really went above and beyond to turn a very well lit room into a darkroom for us. Thanks for your help, Synergy School!

Flobots Workshop at Cole Arts and Sciences Academy

The first collaboration of Shoot Cameras Not Guns and Flobots.org was a great success! The Flobots are a Denver based hip hop group that creates nationally known music filled with positive and thought provoking lyrics. Their non-profit offshoot Flobots.org teaches youth and community members how to use and create music for social change. "Art to Action" instructor Adrian Molina and I partnered up at Cole Arts & Sciences Academy in Denver to teach an after school program to elementary and middle school students. We focused on light graffiti, or "light painting," to allow the youth to express themselves anonymously. Graffiti is something most of the kids see every day and can relate to. Light graffiti adds another level to the art of graffiti, while taking away the risk and disrespect of property that is often associated with this form of expression. 

GROUP LIGHT PAINTING:

We started off making some photos as a group before moving on to individually created photos.

The individual shots are a response to the questions, "What makes you feel weak?" and "What makes you feel strong?" Each artist thought of a motion that embodied this feeling and then performed it for the camera to record.  

Photo by Dalaun, who's family makes him feel strong. Laying on the couch makes him feel weak: 

Photos by Nehemiah:  

Photo by Maria: 

Molina messing around with the camera on very slow shutter speeds, with flash: 

Photo by Patricia, who feels strong when using a computer (which she drew with the lights): 

Photo by Savejon, who feels both weak and strong when stretching: 

Hong Sar's Photo Exhibit in Chiang Mai

Everyone is Northern Thailand should go check out this photo exhibit in Chiang Mai by Shoot Cameras Not Guns student Hong Sar.

Congrats, Hong Sar!

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=22861

New Video by Hong Sar

This is a new video by a Shoot Cameras Not Guns student, Hong Sar, about the children of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand and one of the orphanages that helps the community.
Hong Sar is located in Mae Sot, Thailand and available for photo and video documentary work. You can see more of his work at www.HongSar.com

A Shining Past Student

One of Shoot Cameras Not Guns' first students and good friends (before we were even called Shoot Cameras Not Guns, actually) has really become an amazing photographer. His work is beautiful and intimate and best of all, he lives in the area he shoots. He understands the people and therefore can gain trust and access with some very interesting and significant cultures.

Hong Sar primarily documents the lives of migrant workers along the Thai/Burma (Myanmar) border. YOU CAN SEE HIS WORK HERE

And here are some of my recent favorites. If you need a photographer in Southeast Asia, make sure to hire him. Keep documenting, Hong Sar!

Article in Breckenridge Magazine

Check out Kate Lapides's article in Breckenridge Magazine about Shoot Cameras Not Guns and philanthropy in Summit County, Colorado. Thanks, Kate!

http://digital.publicationprinters.com/publication/?i=74158