The 450 Photo Experience

Exposing the world to the lives of the children of Hurricane Katrina, through their eyes

“When I first met Marquese James, he definitely made his presence be known and after a couple of games of ‘tug of war,’ he realized that I was on his side and began warming up to me. But like any 13-year-old energetic kid, it was difficult to keep his attention and keep him sitting in his chair for the duration of the class, so much so that I assumed he wasn’t retaining any of the lessons. My opinion about Marquese soon changed, though, when I began seeing his work and started noticing that he was putting special care in choosing compositions and subject matter. He wasn’t blowing off my class or the assignments at all. He pleasantly surprised me with his work and made me realize that he had genuine interest, and that I had to be less rigid about my teaching style. And so it suddenly became okay to have a little bit of controlled chaos in the classroom—it kept things fresh. I’m very proud to say that he’s pleasantly surprised me again; last week I received an e-mail from the Charity in Focus Photography contest and Marquese’s work has been selected to hang in a gallery in New York City for one of their shows.”

—Eduardo Mayen on Marquese James, 13,
“The 450 Photo Experience” student

Two days a week, for two months, a group of 10 kids funneled into the gray double-wide trailer, known as The 450 Diamond Community Center, armed with disposable cameras and an eagerness to learn, create and share photos that would expose the simple, the humorous, the beautiful and the harsh realities of life in a post-Katrina FEMA trailer park. The Diamond FEMA trailer park is in an area approximately one hour south of greater New Orleans in one of the hardest-hit regions in the gulf. The park originally consisted of 450 trailers, housing as many as six to seven family members per unit. The kids dubbed the park “The 450,” a neighborhood name that quickly caught on and is now uttered with pride. This area was poverty-stricken even before Katrina, as residents here had little to call their own. Post-Katrina, they lost their homes and rental units, their jobs and their possessions. Public transportation doesn’t exist, the few grocery stores that have reopened are now unaffordable and the healthcare and education systems, along with the local economy, are slow to recover. Kids walking in the park are often forced to grow up fast; to take on extra responsibilities and witness things beyond their years.

Families still go without proper food, shelter and essential medical care every day, even now—two years after Hurricane Katrina. Yet in our efforts to see to these basic needs, we sometimes forget that part of rebuilding and healing includes involving the community in its own recovery—making the best of the temporary homes they inhabit while they rebuild, and giving them ways to occupy their time. Children are particularly in need of organized activities and events and, more importantly, stability, hope and comfort. In response to this, “The 450 Photo Experience” was launched in an effort to give these kids the opportunity to look beyond their realm, to see what’s possible and provide them with an outlet to open their creative minds and express themselves artistically.

Conducted by professional photographers, the intent was to have the students learn the art and mechanics of photography and take their own photos to capture their perspectives of the community, the devastation and the rebuilding efforts. Through the workshop, we hope we’ve provided a platform for the kids to build upon and help them realize that anything is possible, regardless of circumstances. The workshops proved more successful than we could have imagined. As the students walked around The 450 with cameras in hand and a new intent and focus, it forced them to really look at life as they know it vs. how life could be, and the experience helped them tap into the emotional toll taken by Katrina. Not only were they able to share photos, they were sharing personal experiences, feelings, wishes and hopes for the future. Our goal was to inspire creativity and open the doors to possibility and opportunity. It may seem that the doors of possibility in the gulf region are sealed shut, but the kids of “The 450 Photo Experience” are knocking, and they don’t intend to stop until those doors open.

One door did open September 8. The students’ photos were displayed for sale at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park. The event was a success as more than 150 people passed through to experience the students’ work. The exhibition will move on to Los Angeles in October, with future dates in New York and finally in New Orleans. All money raised during these exhibitions will go directly to a fund that will be started for each student to assist with education and healthcare needs.

Roschelle Bulda is a native San Diegan and denizen of North Park who volunteered with Emergency Communities to help in the post-Katrina reconstruction of New Orleans. For more information, visit www.450photo.com and www.emergencycommunities.com.

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