SNOWDEN PHOTO SQUAD
A visual exploration of Boston’s Roxbury and Chinatown neighborhoods
BY BPS STUDENTS (with PRESS PASS TV)
Over the past several months, and even on some of the coldest days of winter, high school students from the Snowden International School (BPS) in Back Bay ventured into the streets of their own city with cameras and multimedia coaches from Press Pass TV and the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. What followed were adventures in media and local culture, all along with a chance for tomorrow’s media makers to mix with contemporary Boston artists.
The first task was for students to learn how to handle pro equipment. With help from Boston-based photographers Vyne Bernier, Ernesto Arroyo, and Jaypix Belmer, the Snowden photogs quickly developed the skills needed to observe and record life in the Hub from a new perspective. From there, they dispatched to some areas that were familiar to them and others that were foreign, but in all cases, the young artists saw their hometown in a new light.
Beyond technique, discussions between learners and coordinators covered the inspiration behind photography, as well as ways to disseminate original work and build an audience through social media. In every aspect — from improvising, to executing, to selecting the images used in the presentation herein — the students excelled. As Vyne noted to the group in one of the picture selection sessions, referring to the outstanding work done by the Snowden crew, “A lot of your pics are even fresher than mine.”
What follows are the fruits of the Snowden Photo Squad’s collaborative efforts broken down into four categories: CHINATOWN, IN TRANSIT, DUDLEY SQUARE, and finally, pictures of THE CREW.
CHINATOWN
Reflections of the building. -Kavon
I like the twin lions or dragons (what ever they are). I thought they look pretty cool … I wanted to make one focus and the other out of focus and was trying to do the reverse effect. -Zairra
I like the all the words on the door. It seems to have so many different meanings. I also like the graffiti and the vibrant colors. -Cris
I like the creativity of the spray paint on the wall and the colors just pop. I like colors. -Cris
I like the location of the sun. It looks like a hot sunny day, but then you look down and see all the people with their winter coats and gear on. I also like the way the colors blend together. It shows a day in the city. I even caught the T stop. -Jared
I like the graffiti, the architecture, and even the cool light bulbs that seem to come out of nowhere hanging across the building. All the different types of buildings in one frame is pretty interesting too. -Jared
IN TRANSIT
DUDLEY SQUARE
You could say this is my home turf, but I haven’t exactly spent time out here in these vacant lots. It’s a different way of looking at things. -Zairra
To quote [legendary photographer] Gordon Parks, your best zoom lens is your feet. -Ernesto Arroyo
Dudley Building
THE CREW
The Snowden Photo Project was organized and staffed by Press Pass TV. The Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism assisted with media instruction and presentation of student photography. The project was made possible with the generous support of EdVestors.
