Yesterday was a really fun day shooting at Algonquin, for their Language Institute. We started the morning in the classroom photographing international students learning English - courageous students in my mind, putting their pride and insecurities aside, doing their best to learn English in a country so far from their homeland. Then onto a large computer lab, where so many students wanted to help us with the photos by generously volunteering to be models. It was more than a computer lab full of students, it felt more like an inclusive family of friends. It was so nice!
We then finished the morning by taking a handful of students outside, to photograph them interacting and just hanging out. As I took this photo, it occurred to me, Algonquin is of course offering education, but perhaps more importantly, they're providing an opportunity for students from around the world to make friends. The five students in this photo, were from Ivory Coast, Vietnam, Mexico and Lebanon. Neither of them had ever met, before coming to Canada to study at Algonquin and now they're all great friends! How cool is that!?
Dwayne.
© Dwayne Brown