14 Apr Visions of A Young Mind’s Eye
The Joy Trip Project is happy to announce the next recipient of a lovingly used digital camera! Thanks to the generous contribution of a donor in Madison, Wisconsin, Austin Miller will receive a Leica V-Lux 1 with a spare battery, a charger and the original instruction manual. He will also get a Sling camera strap and the new Travel Tripod from our friends at Peak Design.
Whenever possible it is critically important to support and encourage the interests of young people to express what they see in the world around them. A digital camera is an excellent tool to help communicate the vision of a young mind’s eye. With a lot of used but still serviceable photography equipment out there, it only makes sense to put it into the hands of creative students just getting started in visual storytelling. Among the many who applied to receive a camera, Austin seems to have a good understanding of how to frame his shots and convey to viewers what he wants them to see.
“He is an aspiring 12-year-old boy who loves art, animals, wildlife, nature and photography,” his mother Christi wrote in her nomination letter. “He never misses the opportunity to grab a shot when he sees a beautiful sunset, morning dew on a leaf, an inspiring composition or a field full of cranes in the summer… The wheels never stop turning in that mind of his; constantly thinking and creating.”
Like most kids his age Austin just needs a nudge in the right direction. With good equipment and a little guidance, he hopes to boost his technical skills beyond point-and-shoot.
“I took a photography class a few years ago but really want to learn more about taking pictures on all the settings and setting up lights,” Austin said. “I would use this camera to learn more about that and to test the different settings.”
There’s really nothing better than hands-on learning to pick up and develop new abilities. As a kid who loves exploring and figuring out how things work without a doubt Austin will make great use of this camera. His interests also include classic automobiles and experimental airplanes. After almost a month since the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic lockdown, he’s likely very eager to get outside and capture a bit of the natural world around him. Perhaps when the “safer-at-home” restrictions have been lifted we can see through his vision much of the wildlife and the many landscapes that are so worth protecting.
If you have a used but still working digital camera to share, I can help put it into the hands of an aspiring photographer. If you know a student between the ages of 12 and 17 drop me a note to let me know why you think they should receive a used camera. I’ll see what I can do to help them out. Together we can inspire a new generation of natural storytellers.
Write to: info@joytripproject.com
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