During the Future Design class on Tuesday, February 17, a Photography Workshop was held by Makoto Hirokawa (also known as “Dolly”), who works in Okuma Town as an archive cameraman and reconstruction support staff member. Students in grades 2–4 participated during the fifth period, and students in grades 5–9 joined during the sixth period.
Many of the children were already familiar with Mr. Hirokawa (Dolly) because of his various activities in Okuma Town, so they seemed very comfortable with him even before the workshop began. When he asked the younger students, “Do you know who I am?” they cheerfully replied, “Dolly!”
First, Dolly, a photography professional, explained some basics about photography. He talked about why we take photos and what we should keep in mind to capture photos that stand out.
People take photos for many different reasons. However, when we want to share something we love or express our thoughts and feelings to others, photography can be a very powerful tool. One of the reasons we organized this workshop was to give students an opportunity to gain a skill that could become one of their tools as they continue their inquiry learning.
For students in grades 5–9, Dolly introduced techniques using grid lines, and they quickly tried them out by turning on the grid lines on their tablets.
He explained that the keys to taking good photos are:
- Create a main subject
- Reduce unnecessary information
- Make good use of grid lines
He also shared additional tips, such as:
- Place the information you want to highlight above eye level
- Align two objects at the same height or size to create balance
After that, Dolly gave the students a mission:
“Take one photo of something you like in Yume no Mori.”
The children spread out across the school, searching for things they liked.
At the end, they showed Dolly the photos of their favorite things at Yume no Mori. The subjects varied widely—not only objects, but also people, plants, and spaces, each reflecting the students’ own perspectives.
Since January, the students have started new inquiry projects. We hope they will continue to discover what they love, share it with others, and connect with people, deepening their own exploration along the way.
