Fotografieren usw.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

Publish a book
You write a book as a group. Another part of the group makes pictures to go with it. Put pictures and text together and get colour photocopies made (e.g. with Canon laser copier). Glue them together, bind them, and the book is ready. You can also do this with biblical stories. Estimate costs beforehand.

Pictures from the good old days
Round up old clothes, and set up a photo studio in the youth room. People from your community can have their pictures taken (for a modest fee). This will produce original pictures. If any of you have a "black and white lab", you can trim the pictures to nostalgic and tone them brown afterwards. Your photo dealer will be happy to advise you. Before you bring people into the studio, take test shots and have them developed. Only if the results are good, get the action started. Otherwise, tweak until the results are usable, or drop the action.

Pictures on specific themes
Set a theme, such as creation, and create pictures for it. Don't just snap away wildly, but plan. For example, one group takes the theme of the forest, another water, etc. Create a picture tableau for each theme, sticking enlargements on black cardboard, which can be presented to the congregation. If the pictures are good, maybe your photo dealer will display them, who knows, they might donate some film in return.

Colorizing
A fun thing to do: you take black and white pictures of you in fancy clothes. Then make enlargements of 20x25 cm. Now you can colour these with "Mars GRAFIC 3000" pencils (available in specialist shops for graphic designers). Use pastel colours so that the structure remains clearly visible on the enlargement. Don't overdo it or it will be tacky.

Reportage
Combine pictures and text on a current topic. Do interviews on the street, for example, and document the answers with appropriate visuals. Make a book out of it (as already mentioned) or publish it in the church newsletter. Maybe your preacher needs picture for the church newsletter: the new building project should be presented, the Sunday school class, the new organ etc.

Be aware:
Photography is inexpensive with today's digital cameras; developing can be expensive. Either dig deep into your sack, or take good enough pictures that you can charge for them.

• Plan your action carefully
• Create a budget
• Try everything before offering anything publicly
• Equipment must be available and should be perfectly mastered by at least one person

Auxiliaries:

• Books at specialty stores (look at some, you will soon realize where to learn something)
• Magazines: e.g. "Nikon News" to be obtained from: Nikon AG, Kaspar Fennerstr. 6, 8700 Küsnacht (ask for old magazines)
• Your photo dealer will certainly be happy to give you information, especially if you bought your equipment from him.

Source credits

Content: Teenie Working Group, Margrit Hugentobler
copyright: BESJ Fällanden www.besj.ch

image: Juropa.net www.juropa.net