Adorama Steps Up For Kenya, Part 3: The Kids of Maai Mahiu
YouTube Screenshot/Adorama TV
Just a few weeks ago, Adorama launched a web series entitled My Travel Diary: Kenya, featuring travel guide Erin Sullivan.
If you missed the first episode and second episode of the series, be sure to check them out as they shine a light on the purpose of the series - to demonstrate what it means to practice ethical travel photography.
In this third episode, Erin meets the kids of Maai Mahiu.
As Erin discusses in the video, photographing children is a challenge because if you don’t go about it the right way, kids can seem like just an accessory in the photo. Likewise, it’s too easy to paint kids with a broad brush, particularly if they come from marginalized or poor communities.
If you travel, rather than being a photographer first, be a human being first. Take an interest in the people you meet and the places you visit, and seek to use that knowledge and understanding to create photos with more impact that tell the story of the person in the photograph.
YouTube Screenshot/Adorama TV
This sentiment is critical, especially for westerners that might view places like Africa with some degree of pity. But as shown in the video, the people of Maai Mahiu want no one’s pity; they simply want what the rest of us want - a means to live, provide for our families, and be happy.
The work that Adorama, Erin, and the Ubuntu Life crew are doing is truly inspiring. Check the video out to see what I mean...it’s well worth five minutes to watch!