Photography: Image is everything

Every day, we are bombarded with visual images, many of which influence our lives without us even realising. Glossy magazines with their photos of airbrushed celebrity bodies can reinforce feelings of low self-worth among teenagers at an age when image and appearance are so important.

In turn, young people are often finding themselves associated with antisocial behaviour. But young people have very little opportunity to understand how they are influenced by images or even how they themselves can challenge the image other people have of them.

This summer a residential for 13- to 19-year-olds from South Shields' Park Avenue Detached Youth Project in the Northeast was set up to give young people a creative opportunity to express themselves visually and to present their world as they see it, not as others perceived it.

Ray Whalen,who manages the project, says: "Young people are constantly portrayed in a negative light and this project has enabled the group to look at themselves and take pride in what they see."

The residential was co-ordinated by the visual arts department of The Customs House, a local arts centre, and received support from the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Camera skills

In workshops, young people not only practised camera skills and techniques but also looked at other photographers' work and discussed how imagery is used in the media, especially in relation to young people. During the residential, cameras were made available for young people to use on their own, while hanging out with friends or on trips away.

During the workshops, young people worked with both digital and film, including 35mm and medium-format cameras. They were much more relaxed working with digital than with film. Using digital cameras as a learning tool is great for young people, as they can see the results immediately and learn from their mistakes. They were also fascinated by the old-fashioned cameras used in some of the workshops.

One workshop copied photographer Philippe Halsman's jump photos of 1950s celebrities to show how photography can represent people's personalities.

People pose for photographs, but when they are asked to jump their attention is directed to the act of jumping and the mask falls to reveal more of their natural personality.

The jump photos proved very poplar and became quite a talking point at the youth centre.

Rachael Holmes, 17, says: "I really enjoyed the photo project because I liked experimenting with cameras and learning to hold them properly, and taking good-quality pictures. I thought it was good, as doing it with my friends made it better and allowed me to become more confident."

Steff Weetman, 15, adds: "Doing the project has made me much more confident about having my photo taken."

Girls were more interested in the project than boys, perhaps because teenage girls are a lot more image-conscious than boys at that age. The things they appreciated most about the project were surprisingly simple, like having their own photo album and photographs of themselves with friends to keep.

Confidence boost

"The group has spent a lot of time on the project and developed new skills, both in front of and behind the camera," says Whalen. "In the process, their self-esteem and confidence have improved dramatically."

The young people's images celebrating teenage life have been produced as a booklet and are currently on display at the Each and Everyone exhibition in the Fusion Gallery at The Customs House. Most of the photographs have been taken by the young people themselves, with the remainder taken at their request in order to capture a particular shot.

As a body of work, the young people have produced a collection of images that not only capture and celebrate their teenage years, but also benefit their understanding of the world they live in.

The young people pose confidently, full of teenage bravado and youthful self-expression. They are collaborators in the act of photography rather than just subjects. Like the housing estate on which most of them live, which is currently being regenerated, they have captured themselves in a moment of transition on the cusp of adulthood.

- For more information, contact Stuart Meikle at stumeikle@hotmail.com; or Ray Whalen at raywhalen@hotmail.com.