Achievements Are Made
“I think that all of the women now know how to use a basic camera. I don’t think that they understand much about light, aperture and film speed, but more important is that they achieved a sense of belonging in a group and a feeling of purpose.” Tracey Derrick If any of the students wanted to further their photography training they would need to apprentice with a photographer, but none of the women want to do this.
None of them have desires to become professional photographers, even though they truly enjoyed taking photographs of themselves.”This was a huge exercise for them, it was interesting to see them in their groups and for them to stop arguing with each other!
Their life before and during prison is very much about themselves and their own survival, so to share was new for them and I think satisfying.” says Tracey Derrick. “It was a new experience for them to look at photo books, to learn to look differently, to think about how photographs are made. We looked at advertising – the time and money involved in producing one image as opposed to art photography for example.
I think that they will look differently at images now.” They did not put a photographic album together. “It was always quite confusing when I bought prints back to them. They used each others cameras, sometimes they did not know who took what photo! – they have no history of photographs of themselves and their families, something we take for granted.”
Eye Inside Exhibition
“I produced an exhibition of their work. Two prints each blown up to A4 and glass and wood framed. That impressed them immensely, to see their work displayed like that. I could feel their energy levels rising when they first saw it. I have seen them since and they have told me how proud they are of their work.
I think that that is a new feeling for some of them. I feel proud to have helped them feel so proud.” said Tracey Derrick. The exhibition and closing of the official course was designed by the prison authorities. “It was emotional for me to experience the thought and organization that they put into it. The students told me afterwards that they were in tears while it was happening.
It was a ceremony about them - they have never experienced anything like that in their lives before. It was so important for them to be affirmed, it uplifted them and their egos were touched in a different way.” “After the ceremony, I took the exhibition to the Malmesbury Pick n Pay and hung it in the shop.
A lot of customers saw it and read it and thought that the women’s photography was good.” It is a pity that the inmates could not see the exhibition hanging up in a public space – this would reinforce their sense of achievement even more.