24 Mar 2014

Twenty two Out of School Youth in Selebi Phikwe participated in a 10-day photography training workshop organised by the Botswana Society for the Arts in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture in Selebi Phikwe and the BCL Mine.

When handing over the certificates to participants at Syringa Lodge in Selebi Phikwe where photographers also exhibited their products, the photography trainer from Botswana Society for the Arts, Ulf Nemark said that the participants were instilled with basic photography skills.

He said the youth were taught how to handle the camera and take good different types of pictures in landscape or portrait format. Furthermore, he said the participants went through some technical aspects in photography where they learnt how to use the different settings in a camera such as the ISO numbers, Aperture and Shutter speed to capture a good image.

“The participants were also trained on how to use sources of light either natural, flash light or lamps to produce good photos,” he said. Nemark explained that participants were taught about Photo Journalism, Business of Photography, etiquette, ethics and Basics on Copyright in photography. 

“We also encouraged youth who have been through the photography training to engage themselves in freelance photography with organisations such as BOPA to produce news photos for the DailyNews,” he said.

Meanwhile, the senior culture officer from the Department of Arts and Culture in Selebi Phikwe, Setshego Makgatle said her organisation expected youth engaged in the photography training workshop to use the photography skills to better their lives.

She said they could acquire funding through the Youth Development Fund to purchase equipment and venture into a photography business.

She also urged the youth to take part in photo exhibitions and competitions locally and ultimately internationally to market themselves and their products and make sales. 

“The youth should take advantage of opportunities that come their way and use their photography skills to gain income and sustain their lives,” she said.

She mentioned that the BCL Mine also contributed financially to the workshop and also gave youth the opportunity to visit the mine and take pictures of the steam train and how mineral ore from the BCL underground mine is offloaded from the train and transported to the processing plant. 

For his part, the Principal Youth Officer, Dominique Botshelo encouraged youth to take photography serious and urged them to register businesses that would deal in photography. He said they could get tenders to produce pictures of corporate events, weddings and other occasion to earn an income. Ends