KNYSNA NEWS - Friday 8 September was a day filled with fun, laughter, blindfolds and games for the Pen Pals, and one they are bound to never to forget, bonding closer than ever.
In 2011, Ian decided to start a training initiative involving high school students. This project is now called Pen Pals. The name is derived from the fact that each of his students is equipped with an Olympus Pen camera to learn the art of photography.
“I’ve learnt to see the world in different perspectives, along with different ISOs since I’ve been in Pen Pals. We’ve learnt how to not just take the photos but make the photos,” says the passionate young aspiring photographer, Amber Montagu.
Alice Lubani says, “I’ve learnt not to just capture a moment but to bring it to life.”
And Hope Baker Brigg says she has learnt to work in a team, and see the stories behind pictures and not just the picture itself.
We met at Ian studio to get our cameras and get our inner photographer on. Our first task was a photographic rendition of “Capture the flag” where we were instructed to take a photograph of a country’s flag. It was quite challenging as the Pen Pals had to refresh their flag knowledge (Google is a lifesaver). We then walked to Thesen Island and unleashed our inner child. The activities ranged from cookie face battles to charades to blindfold obstacle courses.
The first activities of the day worked up an appetite. Chatters, a local restaurant famous for their wood-fired pizzas, generously sponsored our lunch. We got to indulge in a selection of mouthwatering pizzas served with friendly smiles.
We then headed down to the mall to end our day with a little bit of photograph pong (who knew!) and a bubble-themed photo shoot.
It is safe to say that all the Pen Pals enjoyed each other’s company, created new memories and formed everlasting friendships.
Pen Pals just hanging and having fun!
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