Asociación CREAR Campamento de Fotografía, July, 2021
Photo by Lucy
New Voices continued its collaboration with Asociación CREAR during the week of July 5, 2021. Thirteen CREAR students took advantage of their school break to sharpen their photo skills with a week full of sports activities and photo education. The group started out the week with Samara’s favorite pastime, surfing. With help from C&C surfing instruction and rental, the students headed for the waves, some with surfboards and others with water resistant point and shoot cameras to capture the action. The point and shoot cameras which the students used to document the action are also water resistant which allowed for some close up encounters between photographers and surfers. Students also practiced photographing below the waves.
After reviewing photography from the first day of shooting, the group headed to Playa Izquierda to take images from some of the stunning overlooks facing the Pacific Ocean. Students experimented with different camera angles and took some spectacular group photos. The group hiked along trails through the maritime zone, a protected environment along the coast, to the secluded beach to take more images.
On the third day of photo camp, students took advantage of the opportunity to relax on the beach after a very long hike back from Playa Izquierda the day before. Two group members, Alex and Handel led the group in some warmup activities on the playa football field in Matapalo before everyone participated in a loose game of playa futbol. Those who stayed on the sidelines documented the game with their point and shoot cameras and a few tried their hand at using a professional dslr camera with a very long lens to get close to the action.
Our final day of photography during the week took place during a trip by kayak to Isla Chora, a small island just off Playa Sámara. Students took some great images of the group traveling in two person kayaks from the shore and some amazing images while snorkeling just off the beach of Isla Chora. A new sighting for many was the “rock fish” hiding at the ocean bottom. Two adventurous students made a shallow dive to get a closer look at this amazing animal.
The group celebrated the end of the week at the final meeting with an amazing breakfast catered by Asociación CREAR. Students also selected one image from their entire week of photography to reflect on some of the techniques and ideas of photography learned throughout the week and on the experience of participating in the program. In short presentations to the rest of the group, students reflected on enjoying their time with friends, both old and new and in creating a body of photos which they can share with friends and family.
