Server Not Servant

Picture Perfect

By: Patrick Maguire

Book Chapter: Human-to-Human Service

Posted: 11/2/2010

You can often tell if someone is ‘good people’ even before meeting if you observe their energy, body language and manner. When I watched and listened to Carla Osberg interact with her students from Boston’s Snap Shot program, I had a strong hunch we were going to be friends.

Carla directs Snap Shot, a summer job program funded by Boston Centers for Youth and Families. The students accepted into the program work with Carla, learning about photography, responsibility, their city, and themselves. They photograph Boston Center for Youth & Families programs and events around the city; the program culminates with an exhibition of their work and a discussion about their experiences.

The room was buzzing when I arrived at the open house and exhibition. I took my time taking in the students’ photographs and the narratives they wrote about their work and the program. Eventually, I caught eyes with Carla, who warmly welcomed me and introduced me to her students. After talking with her young “staff”, I realized that their summer experience with Carla was much more than learning how to take pictures.

Here are a few excerpts from the students’ accounts:

AbdoulNasser Mika: Photography is more than just taking pictures; it’s about preserving the essence of your surroundings. In addition to taking pictures, Snap Shot introduced me to a lot of new people like Mission Hill’s own Farmer Bob and Holocaust survivor, Steve Ross. If anything, Snap Shot has instilled in me the drive to not only get things done on my own, but also to appreciate the beauty of things around me and how to network.

Alexander Oates: Working with Carla and with Snap Shot was a great experience and I had the chance to meet new people, form new relationships, and learn new things about the City of Boston as a whole. We went to the Copley Library and saw a photo gallery of a photographer by the name of Jules Aarons. During this trip, I learned about the West End, which I didn’t even know existed.

Susan Ahmed: Snap Shot was more than a job, it was a family. It helped me notice everything around me more and see things from a different perspective. Through exploring Boston, I realized that there was so much beauty around me that I would have never seen if it wasn’t for this amazing experience.

Daniel Garcia: I never thought I would have a job like this. I learned responsibility, got the chance to travel a lot, met a lot of people, had a lot of fun, and made good money! I am completely grateful to have this job because it kept me occupied and helped me stay out of trouble all summer. I am more independent, and I have to say that it feels great to spend money that I worked for.

Sylvia A. Casiano: This summer with Carla has been a creative, adventurous, spectacular, fun and magical journey. I’ve learned how to interact more with people. Carla constantly reminded me and my co-workers that anything is possible as long as you believe in yourself and what you are doing.

Carla is a professional photographer whose work is literally jaw-dropping. I was fortunate to see her work first-hand during a recent visit to her Open Studios exhibit in Jamaica Plain, MA. I was particularly astonished by one of her photographs capturing a stunning sunrise in Provincetown, MA. I’ve included the P-Town photo and another photo that I love from Puerto Rico in this post. I recommend you check out Carla’s website to see more of her work and to contact her.

I asked Carla to reflect on the time she spent with her students in the Snap Shot program:

PM: What did you enjoy most about the program?

CO:  Sharing my artistic and photographic passion with the youth of the city I reside in brings me great pride. The scope of teaching and learning is dynamic and I love it.

 PM: What do you hope the children will get out of the program?

CO: First, a greater understanding of themselves and their environment. I want them to be able to communicate their vision within a sometimes lucrative and artistic photographic medium. I hope they become adventurous, move out of their comfort zones and learn to enjoy the journey.

I published this blog post to promote Snap Shot and Carla Osberg. I loved talking with Carla’s students and I believe in the great work that she is doing.

On Wednesday, November 10^th, the House of Blues in Boston will host a benefit and fundraiser for the Boston Centers for Youth and Families to fund programs like Snap Shot.

Please consider joining me at the fundraiser, and email me if you will be attending. I would love to say hello.

Please click on the link below for more information. Thank you.

HubNob: http://www.bcyf-events.com/

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