Otara kids are happy snappers

Despite it being school holidays, a group of Otara students have stayed focused - on taking photos.

The primary and intermediateaged children were taking part in a photography programme as part of the Auckland Arts Festival, along with kids across Auckland.

The January workshops were run by photographers Emily Mafile’o and Raymond Sagapolutele to teach children the basics of photography.

For the group of 10 young Otara photographers, it’s been an opportunity to have fun and learn how to take more than just selfie photos.

Eight-year-old Charis has been practising with the camera taking close-up and far away shots and she is inspired to get better at photography.

‘‘It’s cool because we get to take photos of interesting things and also getting to engage with other kids,’’ Charis says.

‘‘When somebody asks me if I know how to take photos I would say yes but if I didn’t come to this I wouldn’t be able to know how to take photos.’’

Nuku’s mum signed him up for the course and while the 10-year-old initially didn’t know what it would be like, he now says he loves photography.

‘‘It’s pretty good because we get to know how to take photos of interesting things,’’ Nuku says.

‘‘It’s hard sometimes because when you try to take a photo it’s blurry but you delete it and then try again.’’

The group was given the cameras for a weekend and tasked with taking photos of things that are precious of them. Families, neighbourhoods, pets and picnics were some of the common themes from the group. Their photographs will feature in an exhibition as part of the Auckland Arts Festival in March.

Sagapolutele says the children have been great to work with and are full of new ideas and enjoys seeing things from their perspective.

He says once the children moved beyond taking photos of each other they started to progress.

‘‘Just when you think you’ve got everything sussed you get an eightyear-old give you a photo from an angle you’ve never thought of before,’’ Sagapolutele says.

The festival’s Otara exhibition will be on display at Te Puke o Tara Community Centre from March 8.

‘‘Just when you think you've got everything sussed you get an eight-year-old give you a photo from an angle you've never thought of before.’’