Pulitzer Center Update

"Everyday D.C." Student Exhibition Online

January 27, 2015 | General news, Education news
By
Amanda Ottaway

“Super Human (AKA Mecca)." This photo was taken because Mecca and I wanted something fun. At the same time we wanted it to look like something futuristic.
In this workshop I learned to hold the camera still when taking photos. Whenever I don't, the photos are always blurry. Image by Jeffrey. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Memories of M.L. King." I took this photo on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue. In this workshop I learned that if you take pictures in different angles it makes pictures look different. Also this can persuade the reader. Sometimes people have to make a hypothesis of what the picture is and have to read the caption. Image by Mecca. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Unique."
It is located in front of my house in Washington, D.C. If you look closely you can see an airplane.
In this workshop I learned you can take pictures of an object that is far away with a background. By whether the background is a color or dark, you can imagine that object. Image by Heaven. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Union Station." In this workshop I learned that different pictures might look bad, but when you know what it is about, everything changes. Image by Michael. Washington, D.C., 2014.

"Funny Shadow."
This is a picture I took outside my school after a photo workshop. I saw the shadows on the stair and wanted to take a picture of them.
In this workshop I learned pictures don't have to be of people. They can be of things and have interesting shadows. Image by Raven. Washington, D.C., 2014.

"Da Skins." Sometimes you need to let other people know you were at a game and the home team won. In this workshop I learned that when taking pictures you need to be calm to get a straight picture. Image by Asa. Landover, MD, 2014.

“No Face But One." This photo was taken outside on the field by the bleachers at my school.
In this workshop I learned that pictures are not so good when you cut the picture if it doesn't look its best. Also when you can’t see anybody's face it looks mysterious but also cool and interesting. Image by Serenity. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Friendship." This photo was taken outside on a sunny day at my school in northwest Washington, D.C.
In this workshop I learned pictures can be in different angles, tones and colors. They make the picture look good so that people can understand the picture instead of judging. Image by Noelle. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“WHUR.” WHUR, Northwest Washington, D.C.
In this workshop I learned that if you hold the camera at a certain angle the picture will be better. Image by Faith and her dad. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Ninjas in Action." In this workshop I learned that you need to angle it and from the right angle it might look like something else, like a shadow. You can have a box and hold it up and it might look like something else. Image by Sean. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Kai and the Christmas Tree." In this workshop I learned that it takes lots of pride and you have to find the right focus. Image by Kaden. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Max Jumping Off an Electric Box.” This photo was taken in northwest Washington, D.C. at my school. In this workshop I learned, well, if you take a picture of a shadow close to a mirror it's going to show the shadow in the picture. Image by Daniel. Washington, D.C., 2014.

"7-11 in Southeast Washington, D.C.” I took this photo because I was hungry and no one was there and it looked empty.
In this workshop I learned that the angle of the picture changes the story. Image by Mariah. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“The Sunset." This photo was taken on Quincy Street.
In this workshop I learned there are so many other ways to take pictures. For example, you can get close-up or far away. With a camera you can get different portraits and there are ways to use the light to take different pictures. Image by Amina. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“The Unknown Shadows." This picture is two people you cannot see. You can only see their shadows. This photo leaves you thinking, who are these people?
In this workshop I learned pictures can be not just a person or thing, they can be a story. Image by Jaelyn. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Faith and Sean.” Faith was trying to pretend to be a mother and Sean was pretending to be a baby.
In this workshop I learned that depending on how you take a picture, you can give someone a certain emotion. Image by Eva. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“A Mural Near My House.” This photo is on 14th street near my house of a mural.
In this workshop I learned that pictures can tell a story. Image by Mikaeli. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“The Hoop.” It tells a story about basketball. Image by Taylor. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Red Leaves Located on Thayer St. NE Wash. D.C.”
In this workshop I learned that you should always try to make the best of something when taking a photo because this plant is very ugly but it has a few good branches. Image by Adam. Washington, D.C., 2014.

"Mirror and Glass." A mirror that is broken can be dangerous but beautiful.
In this workshop I learned how to take different styles of photos and how to make one thing look like something else. Image by Kai, 2014.

“Layers." I call it “Layers” because it has a lot of layers.
In this workshop I learned that good pictures have 3 layers. Image by Max. Washington, D.C., 2014.

"Mikaeli is Very Interesting."
This picture is Mikaeli and she’s asking, “What’s going on over there?”
In this workshop I learned when you’re not looking at the picture it looks very interesting and different. Image by Alexandria. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“A Girl Taking a Picture." This picture is very unique because it shows a girl taking a picture and the different kind of angles.
In this workshop I learned how to make the pictures into a story and learning different angles. Image by Chaltu. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Ahh! It's a Two-Headed Monster!” (A student photo-bombed.)
In this workshop I learned that in this photo the photo-bombing student improves the picture because it makes your attention go to the other head and it makes the picture more interesting. Image by Owen. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Dodo." This is a picture of my friend being silly and saying Dodo.
In this workshop I learned more about using bird’s-eye view. If you take a picture above something you get a different, sometimes distant effect. Image by Madissen. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“My Dog Jax."
In this workshop I learned that animals can be photogenic and you can capture a good shot with a phone just as well as with a camera. So you can capture any moment as long as you have good phone. Image by Karl, 2015.

"Sad Man!!!!!!!!!!"
This is a photo of a piece of art at the Phillips Collection in Northwest Washington, D.C.
In this workshop I learned that it matters if you cut any part of the body off. It also matters of the angle. And a picture tells a story but multiple pictures tell a better story. Image by Jelani. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Home." In this workshop I learned how to do a shadow photo. I really like seeing the shadow in a photo. I really think it is cool and gives the picture an interesting look. Image by Jasmine. Washington, D.C., 2014.

“Flurry."
In this workshop I learned I can get excited about taking pictures. Image by Caleb. Washington, D.C., 2015.

“White Out."
Taken on January 15.
In this workshop I learned pictures can make people feel happy. Image by Dennis. Washington, D.C., 2015.

In 2012, Pulitzer Center grantee journalists Austin Merrill and Peter DiCampo founded the photo-sharing initiative “Everyday Africa" to provide a counter to Western media stereotypes of Africa.

As Everyday Africa’s popularity took off around the world, Austin and Peter quickly realized its education potential to support students in identifying the gaps in media coverage of their own communities, and creating their own media to fill those gaps.

Last fall fifth and sixth-grade students and their teachers from the Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School in northeast D.C. participated in a series of photography, visual and cultural literacy workshops led by DiCampo, Merrill and fellow Pulitzer Center grantee and Everyday Africa contributing photographer Allison Shelley. That series culminated in a January 2015 exhibition, curated by Pulitzer Center special projects coordinator Jin Ding. Each student chose and captioned a photo he or she had taken during the course of the workshops.


“Snowfall: Bird's-Eye View." Taken on January 21. In this workshop I learned that you can take any picture of anything and make it wonderful. Image by Kayla, 2015.


“Outside." In this workshop I learned how to take pictures on a phone. Image by Alonzo, 2015.

In the spirit of virtual photo-sharing, check out the photos and captions the students exhibited at the Pulitzer Center. Also check out our write-up from the event, and more of the students' photos on Instagram at @everydaydc.

Sincere thanks from all of us at the Pulitzer Center to Latisha Coleman, Costia Karolinski, Shaka Greene and the faculty and staff at the Inspired Teaching School; to the D.C. Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative; to the student photographers and their parents; and to our grantees Austin Merrill, Peter DiCampo and Allison Shelley.