I have had an exciting couple of days.  Friday was our 2nd "Day in the Life of Oak Park".  Four years ago on October 15, 2004, A Day in the Life of Oak Park brought together over 100 photography students from Cosumnes River College, Sacramento High School, PS7, City College, Courtyard Middle School and CSUS to document the economic, educational and cultural transformation occurring in Sacramento's oldest suburb. Over 10,000 images were captured that day, with nearly seventy of the best images being selected for exhibition at the 40 Acres Art Gallery. I was very honored to have two images in the gallery at that time.  One of them was in the Sacramento Bee.

 

This Friday brought more than 200 photographers.  I could tell the positive transformation from 4 years ago.  My goal was to show all the progress.  Well I was slightly detoured but in a rewarding and exciting way.  This year a couple of us were able to go inside the food bank which is not only a food bank.  It is a huge very old brick building.  Inside are many, many awesome programs for ages newborn to the elderly.  Two programs that I think are so awesome are the Women's wisdom recovery and the child reading program.  The women's program is an every day art program.  They produce beautiful scupltures, paintings and many other types of art.  I was so impressed with their pieces.  Many of them have sold them and have gone on to Art institutes.  The reading program is younger kids reading to an adorable large dog.  The dog was this three legged loving smart dog.  Unfortunately the kids in that program were on a field trip.  That was my morning then for the afternoon, they asked  if I would teach some kids some photography and take them out to the streets.  They provided disposable cameras to the kids.  Another photographer friend, Colleen came along and helped.  I started walking and talking technical.  I don't think I was very captivating because their cameras were still in their pockets.  We got to go in this really cool bookstore and I started showing them all this cool stuff to shoot.  I started handing off my camera and it was all over from there.  They were so excited then because they could see their images right away and I was showing how to utilize the window for light.  Well I hardly got my camera back for the rest of the day but it was so rewarding.  By the end of the day some of them said they are going home to ask for cameras.  Then Saturday morning I went to the school to help edit images.  15,000. images were taken from the whole day and 300 made it in this awesome slideshow that was presented at night.  I am sooooooo impressed at all the images the photographers got.  They were amazing!  At the end of the show they had award ceremony.  My friend Traci got first price for her very powerful image.  Congratulations Traci! She received a Canon D40 outfit.  Me and 3 other students got honorable mention with LIFE's "The Classic Collection".  I was very, very honored.  At the same time all day, Canon was at our school doing classes and presentations.  Canon has provided our school with equipment, training and many guest speakers.  We were so priviledged today with our guest speaker.  It was David Hume Kennerly!  I couldn't believe it!  It was so exciting to hear his presentation.  Here is a link about who he is.  I would be writing pages and pages on his greatness.  He signed my LIFE book and gave me one of his original business cards  from when he worked for LIFE.  CICK HERE to read about David.

 

 

The slideshow at the bottom are some of the images I got from the day.  CLICK HERE  to see a couple of the student's images.