About Little Shutterbugs

Little Shutterbugs is a hands-on photography workshop for children that teaches the importance of visual communication and interactive learning.

About Founding Photographer

Matthew Carasella began his photography career at Popular Photography Magazine in 2003 where he produced Digital Days, a digital photography-training workshop across the United States. After leaving the magazine, he worked as a photographer for Patrick McMullan Company from 2005-2008.

Currently, he owns and operates SocialShutterbug.com. In addition to his event photography business, he started a photography workshop series for children named Little Shutterbugs. The first class was held in Brazil in July 2008. To view the work of Matthew Carasella, please visit: www.socialshutterbug.com and www.matthewcarasella.com.

He graduated from James Madison University in May 2003 with a degree in Media Arts & Design and discovered photography while writing for the college newspaper.

Photographer's Statement
Matthew Carasella

Seeking a change of pace, purpose and perspective away from the intense New York City event photography scene, I decided to embark on a journey to Brazil with the goal of teaching a basic photography workshop to disadvantaged children for a new photo project named “Little Shutterbugs.”

Prior to leaving the United States, I contacted Worldfund, an organization established in 2002 that finances and facilitates proven education initiatives in Latin America. Their goal over the next eight years is to transform the lives of 250,000 students by investing US$50 million in proven schools and in gifted student programs. Upon learning of their goal, I was left with one question, “How can I help?”

The answer that followed complimented my original idea of teaching photography and led me to produce this photo book, “Class of Contrast” to raise funds and awareness to support their mission. When I asked myself the question, I was convinced that I could help. Further, I could positively contribute my time, skills and resources to directly impact impoverished children in Brazil. Through the support of Worldfund I was connected with Escola Estrela do Mar and experienced the gracious hospitality of Founder David Leiner and his wife, Claudia. I was granted access to teach and to photograph at the school for three days all the while a guest in their home.

With two cameras and nine kids, I had to be resourceful and creative with my lesson plans. I created fun activities that taught techniques and basic camera parts with homemade visual aids. Each class session was 50 minutes. The student’s ages ranged from 7-10 years old. I speak practically no Portuguese, the students spoke little English so visual communication was a perfect fit.

During the first day we made paper cameras to learn basic camera parts. The children instinctively began playing photographer by looking through their own viewfinders, kneeling to take pictures and pretending to click the shutter. The second day, we practiced shooting techniques. While alternating turns taking pictures, one student used the camera while the others wore animal masks. The final day, we took a field trip and the students were assigned to work in groups and to take pictures of their “Vision.”

Although most of my time was spent teaching and photographing within the clean secure walls of the school, I knew a world of contrast existed beyond the class. Stories recounted told of the horrors of murder, drugs, poverty, unemployment and generations of illiteracy. These words were hard to visualize for the images within the school were quite different. Perhaps it was denial until I stepped into the neighborhood on that final day. The distant question of “How can I help?” had now given way to my new thought, “This is real.”

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