Beyond the Selfie: Girls in Focus Documentary Photography Workshops
Girls in Focus was born out of a frustration with the lack of diverse stories about girls and young women. Young women in the media are frequently reduced to one story: the body. And sadly, girls who are fed this spectacle all too frequently become participants
in the process.
Whether the woman in question is being berated for her weight gain or praised for her beauty, whether she is too sexy (Miley) or too prudish (Taylor), whether she is dating or jilted, sporting a baby bump or "childless," we are ignoring all of the other
stories that girls and women have to tell.
The Stories of Young Women
Young women have a wide array of stories to tell. Whether their stories come from home or school, neighborhood or national issues, athletics or theatrics, these stories color their lives. One way of allowing them to share those stories with others is the
art and science of documentary photography.
Our Approach
Girls in Focus workshops will provide instruction in basic photographic techniques, composition, elements of visual storytelling, writing captions, and minor editing. Students will explore a topic in depth over the course of the workshop, experiment with
what they have learned use peer reviews to improve their work, learn from their mistakes, and cull their own images in order to create a cohesive body of work.
Ultimately, our goal with each student is to have a complete photo essay by the end of the workshop, display their work in a gallery show, and print the finished photos in a coffee table book.
About the Director
Girls in Focus was founded by Kari Bedford, an award-winning professional photographer since 1999. She is a mother of two daughters, the wife of Ben Bedford, and the owner of Kari Bedford Photography, a portrait studio located in downtown
Springfield, Illinois.
In 2012, she was voted “Best Photographer” by the readers of the Illinois Times. In 2013, she was nominated for “Small Businessperson of the Year” by the Springfield Chamber of Commerce. The State Journal-Register also included her
as one of the “Top 5 Senior Portrait Photographers” in Springfield.
With her lifelong love affair with documentary photography, she frequently incorporates a natural storytelling approach into her portrait work. It is that enthusiasm for good storytelling
that she, along with other qualified teachers, wishes to impart to young women and members of the Springfield community via Girls in Focus.
Our Students
Young women, ages 13-17, will fill out an application to be considered for the class. Our goal is to serve a wide range of students from Central Illinois. Each workshop will be limited to 10 students to keep student/teacher ratios low. Workshops will be
conducted once a week for 8 weeks.
Students will be provided with workshop materials and a DSLR camera for the time they are in the class. Cameras will be maintained and inspected at the conclusion of each workshop so that student from future workshops may use them.
Help us Change the Conversation
On an episode of "Mad Men," Don Draper said, "If you don't like what's being said, change the conversation." Help us bring these photography workshops to life. Your donations will be used to:
*** Purchase entry level DSLR cameras
*** Provide funds for field trips
*** Print workshop materials
*** Purchase editing software for students
*** Make prints of student work
*** Fund a gallery opening of student work
*** Print coffee table books of student work
Other Ways You Can Help
Please spread the word via social media, traditional media outlets, email, and old-fashioned word-of-mouth. Thank you!
