Abriendo Mentes

Abriendo Mentes kids

by Emily Wirtz

These are the students of Abriendo Mentes, after a field trip to Fantastic World!

Nayelli on a beach clean up

by Emily Wirtz

This is Nayelli, one of Abriendo Mentes' students. She's getting ready for one of AM's beach clean ups.

The Pathway Leading to Playa Prieta

by Sara Llansa

Playa Prieta is one of the many beaches in the region. It gets its name from the dark sand that is found there. "Prieta" in Spanish means dark, and usually refers to skin color.

Hanging out with Verenice and Dilan

by Sara Llansa

Verenice and Dilan are a blast to hang out with. Dilan is holding up the door hanger that they made in the Abriendo Mentes art project that they did earlier that day. Every Friday the kids do a different art project.

Beach Clean-up Day

by Sara Llansa

The kids piled into the truck after an afternoon of picking up trash on the Potrero Beach.

Decorating Abriendo Mentes T-Shirts

by Sara Llansa

Something I didn't mention in my blog post is that we decorated donated Abriendo Mentes T-Shirts with the kids last Friday. Succelly and Genesis helped me decorate mine.

The Finished Product!

by Sara Llansa

Genesis - Playa Potrero

This image was made the first week of instruction. A young child in the foreground, followed by Cynthia, who carry's the unmistakably blue Photo Pals camera. I am close behind Cynthia in passing, while Jeffrey (age 3) gives support nearby.

Genesis - On the way to Surfside

This image was made while following the 1 road through Potrero towards the south. Young boys right outside their home.

Genesis - Golden Hour

Genesis made this image while practicing landscape composition during the golden hour. She captures the sunset colors falling on a nearby home.

Genesis - Yellow Flower

Genesis captures this beautiful image with such expression of the flower. This was her favorite image she made.

Genesis - Young girl

This image was 1 of 2 including this young girl that were my favorite images of her. After showing only minimal examples of Alec Soth, I really admire her achivement as though i find him resonating throughout these 2 images.

Genesis - Mother and Daughter

The second of my two favorite images produced by Genesis. She captures such an extraordinary image of mother and daughter with such beautiful composition and inquiry.

Genesis - Traditional Statue

Right next to the images of the mother and daughter, Genesis found a stroong sensibility and beautiful color combinations throughout this image.

Cindy - Yariella

Cindy captures Yariella alongside a sitting body of water lieing on the beginings of Playa Potrero.

Cindy - Tide

After short instruction on landscape composition, Cindy shows us a different vantage point with a wonderful composition on Playa Potrero.

by Megan Hettwer

Oscar - Potrero Bus

Oscar captures an image of the local Potrero bus coming through the center of town, while the lone road is being prepped to paved for the first time ever.

Oscar - Donald

Oscar captures an incredible image of Donald full of vibrant motion through the soccer field fence.

Wendy - Jeremy

Wendy captures a beautiful image of her baby brother, Jeremy, on the outside wall of their home, which is more or less behind the community center where we hold class. (and next to our community garden!)

Vernice - Penca

Vernice is the daughter of the homestay family we have been living with in Costa Rica. She captures a beautiful image of Playa Penca on the first day of the program .

esteven - self portrait

The ways I love this image, one of my all time favorites. Esteven captures on of the most brilliant images of the pack just outside of Donald and Jeremys house.

Flor - Fisherman

Flor captures a brilliant photo of a local fisherman (someones? uncle) on one of the first days of the program. This image was taken on Playa Penca.

Flor - Coke Bottle

Flor captured this image right outside of the community center. Older children were coming home from school which is approximately an hour away. Subject, unknown.

Rebecca - Reflection

Rebecca was a late entrance into the program, she had a quiet approach but her willigness was there. She captures a great image we all have tendencies to photograph.

Rebecca - House

I love this image. I love photo's of homes, I encouraged them every day. The colors in this image are beautiful. This is what I was looking for (especially in these stages of photographic education).

Jose Julian - Estevan and Jeffri

Jose Julian is awesome. He came up to me with a little buddy approach, although he was taller then most of the other kids. We initially bonded because his camera kept breaking! He stuck with this same camera breaking after most shots, and I hung back with him fixing the camera repeatedly. I looove this image. This was taken right next to the Kids Club in Jeffri's home, where he hangs out of the window. Estevan in the foreground checking his camera. This is just beautiful.

Jose Julian - Estevan

I was so excited when Jose Julian showed up with the previous image and this one. An even closer inspection of Estevan and his camera.

Jose Julian - Man on Bike

Jose Julian captures this image towards the end of the day, en route back to the community center. I was encouraging him to photograph bikers and this image he panned with the man to success.

Jose Julian - Girl

Jose Julian captured this on the first day of the program while seeking landscapes. The result is definitely acceptable as he captures this little girl full of beautiful emotion.

Jose Julian - Red Dog.

The composition is just gorgeous, the background is dreary. The assymetry works perfectly.

Yariella - Reflection

Yariella did great. This image was taken the first day of the program while looking for landscapes, she saw the reflection and the colors work beautifully. This is on the edge of Playa Potrero.

Yariella - Power lines

This image is beautiful. Captured in the golden hour at the end of the day. The power lines are full of description at the entrance to Potrero.

Yariella - Worker

This image captures the soccer field in the center of town. The lone worker is still loitering after a full day of work paving the only road through Potrero for the first time ever.

Yariella - Children in Potrero

Yariella also captured this image on the first day of the program. I encouraged the children to include people in their landscapes that were not the many subjects. She completely accomplished this technique to great success so early in the program.

Yariella - Green House

Yariella captures a beautiful image of a home. Again, I encouraged this images and couldn't be happier with the expression found through this.

Yariella - Road out of Potrero

Yariella capturing the only road in and out of Potrero. Thank you!

Carnival Sign

Frisbee Toss

In Line for Carnival

Face Painting

At Class

Working with Dilan!

Dressed up for the Halloween fair.

Art Class on "Fun Fridays"