Just one of the amazing things about moving to Canmore is that it is providing me with an opportunity to focus more intensely on my photography business. I love using photography to share our family’s story. Making photos of my family and sharing them on my blog is how I have built my photography skills and my confidence in my storytelling. I have had my blog for six years, four of those years have involved some version of a project 52 (one blog post every week). When I look back at the photos from when Kane was a baby I can see so much growth in my ability to document our story. 

I also love using photography to tell stories for other families, whether it is a storytelling session in their own home, a session focused around some kind of family activity, or documenting the details of what their life is like in hospital. I am so grateful to each and every one of the families who have shared their story with me. Some families have chosen to have me share their story, while others prefer their story to be more private. This is always a decision that is left up to each family. My goal when photographing a storytelling session is to document what life is like at that time for that family. I want to make sure every family member sees themselves in their family’s story. It’s the very same reason that I hire a photographer every second year, because I was there too!

Recently, I have begun to focus on supporting other people to tell their own story using photography. I have spoken to educators and school administrators at the Greater Edmonton Teachers Convention, as well as at uLead: The Summit for Educational Leadership about Making Learning Visible: Photographing and Co-Creating Learning Stories. I have presented my ideas on how I have used photography to express grief and trauma at Park Memorial’s conference, Finding Grace in Grief…and I hope to do much more of this. 

Speaking of speaking…

I would absolutely love to be speaking to more kids and adults about photography. If you know of a conference or a workshop or a retreat where I could share my passion for storytelling photography, where learning to tell their own story through photography would benefit others please let me know. Or just pass this blog along : )

Now that it is nearing the end of August, I am beginning to go into teaching withdrawal. This year is the first year I will not have my own classroom, other than while on maternity leave, since 2006. So, I am planning to start a monthly newsletter with photography projects that teachers could do with kids. Over the past four years, I have used photography in my grade one class to tell our story and to teach literacy skills. In addition to using photography in my own class I have run a photography club for older students. The newsletter, Click with Kids, will include a monthly project idea you can do with kids whether they are your students or your own kids. I will be trying out each project with Kane and Maverick and will make sure I have accommodations for a variety of ages and settings.

My goal with Click with Kids is for educators and parents to learn photography skills together with their kids.

The projects will be manageable at school, at home, or in hospital. All you will need is something to take photos with. You shoot with what you have. Whether it is a top of the line DSLR or a smartphone doesn’t matter.

Who’s in?

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