The L.E.N.S. Method for teens is about cultivating
• calmness, curiosity & connectivity through creative photography.
CURRENTLY ENROLLING TEEN GIRLS AGES 12-15: FOUR WEEK VIRTUAL PROGRAM, meets 1x per week on Zoom for 4 weeks.
Participate on their own or along with a parent. Any digital camera including smartphones and ipads can be used for this program!
Limited spots are available. Book a time on my calendar today to meet with me and see if this is a great fit for your daughter right now.
Start date and time will be dependent on a poll of interested participants! Likely beginning in July.
Alternatively, get in touch about my 1:1 program to have her get started right away.
Suggested donation is only $88 for this special small group beta program.
“Once you see a child’s self-image begin to improve, you will see significant gains in achievement areas, but even more important, you will see a child who is beginning to enjoy life more.”
The L.E.N.S. Method™ is about social emotional learning through a fun group creative photography program.
It’s about time we help our teens and young adults learn to use technology and creativity as a tool to benefit their mental and emotional well-being, through an accessible, fun, and engaging experience.
All digital devices including smartphones can be used for these workshops.
L.E.N.S. stands for:
Light • Empathy • Now • Storytelling
“The lens through which you see yourself, has a profound ripple effect on how you experience the world around you, and on the trajectory of your life.” -Carey Kirkella
The L.E.N.S. Method™ is fun creative photography workshops and programs, with a focus on social emotional learning and story-telling through images. It’s also about emotional connection, nervous system regulation, and emotional resilience.
L.E.N.S. stands for:
Light. Photography is the study of light. And it’s inspired by the word Namaste; ‘the light in me sees and salutes the light in you’.
Empathy. Sharing our photos and stories in group settings encourages us to have more empathy for others and for ourselves.
Now. The photo story prompts are a practice in mindfulness and being in the present moment.
Storytelling. Photography is a powerful tool to share stories. It’s also about self awareness and becoming more conscious of the internal ‘stories’ we tell ourselves.
TESTIMONIAL
The Long Island Latino Teachers Association (LILTA) invited me do a 1 week long L.E.N.S. Method Intensive Program as part of their Summer Camp for teen girls. It was the social emotional learning and art component of their program.
“This program was a positive experience for the girls. It helped change the focus from the stress they had been experiencing during the height of the pandemic.
Also, one of our girls had been very shy and withdrawn at first, but it (the L.E.N.S. Program) helped her open up to the group. Had it not been for the program, she likely wouldn’t have shared her feelings, particularly about how she’s a biracial child and how that effects her.” -Dafny, LILTA
The lens through which they see themselves, has a direct effect on how they experience the world around them.
The LENS Method is creativity with a bigger mission.
I’ve designed The L.E.N.S. Method photo story prompts based on the ‘5 Pillars of Emotional Resilience’. Getting exposed to these concepts in a unique and fun way also helps participants to retain this information and use it in their daily lives.
Becoming aware of and incorporating these pillars into our daily lives forms the foundation for balanced mental health and emotional well-being.
— Participants are given inspiration and some technical tips, and then given a mission to create their own photos based on the given ‘photo story prompt.’
— Next, we meet again to share and discuss their photos and experiences in a supportive environment.
We’ll use the photos as talking points to discuss topics related to personal growth and life experiences.
The 5 Pillars of Emotional Resilience that the ‘photo story’ prompts are based on:
Mindfulness (this topic is included in this 4 week beta program)
Self Awareness (And this topic is in the 4 week beta program - See Gratitude Visual Journal download below!)
Self Care
Positive Relationships
Purpose
Make it stand out
If I could go back in time and hang out with my teen-aged self, I would want her to know that there are 5 Pillars of Emotional Resilience, and that nurturing each one of them is key to becoming a happy and successful adult. My teenaged self would have rolled her eyes and continued dreaming about being a professional photographer for The New York Times Magazine.
BUT if I could have learned these simple life-nurturing concepts while doing something fun that I already loved (making photos), then maybe it just might have clicked (pun intended) and the seeds would have been planted.
“NATURE DOES NOT HURRY, YET EVERYTHING IS ACCOMPLISHED.”
L.E.N.S. METHOD™ FOUNDATION (Part 1)
•
Practice mindfulness and make intentional photos of nature.
Step 1 is to learn about mindfulness and connecting with nature. It’s also about tuning into all of our senses.
Step 2 is to get into a creative flow state by making photos of our surroundings inspired by visual metaphors, such as “I am rooted but I flow”. -Virgina Wolfe
Step 3 is to share your photos with me (or in a group of peers) and talk about your experiences creating them in a supportive environment.
Step 4 is to receive the inspiration and photo story prompt for the next theme.
Each of the photo story prompts are based on the 5 pillars of emotional resilience.
Step 1
Meet online for Part 1 Inspiration and Tech Tips
Step 2
Use what you’ve learned to create your images throughout the week.
Step 3
Meet online a week later to share your photos with the group, and receive inspiration for the next photo story prompt.
Examples of student work
Participants will also receive a digital book template, complete with quotes and affirmations. They’ll be encouraged to upload their own photos to the template and have it printed, helping them create their own personal visual journal that they can refer back to. It will serve as a reminder of this special experience, and the 5 pillars of emotional resilience will be laid out for them.
These workshops and programs are approximately 30% about the technical side of how to take better storytelling photos, and 70% inspiration, creativity exchange, emotional connection, and self awareness.
If you’re looking for a photo program that’s primarily about the technical side of photography, where the main focus is about tips for taking better photos with your smartphone or camera, then this may not be the right photography program for you. Schedule a call with me if you’re not sure.
Carey Kirkella is an award-winning photographer who continues to photograph advertising campaigns for clients including LoveWellness, NY Life insurance and many more. She also works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs to create custom image libraries that help them connect authentically with their clients. Her fine art photography has been exhibited internationally.
She and her husband are the proud parents of a deeply feeling and highly persistent 6-year-old boy.
She is especially passionate about mental and emotional well-being, motherhood, messages from the universe, and collaborating with others who are on a mission to help improve our world.
Why I created this.
Ever since I fell in love with photography at the age of 12, I’ve leaned on it as a creative tool to help process my emotions; and I’ve come to realize, as a mindfulness practice. I declared at that age that I would either be a professional photographer or a therapist.
Little did I know then that I’d go through a lot over the years concerning my mental and emotional wellbeing. At this point in my life, I’m grateful for everything I’ve experienced, because I know it all helped shape who I am now.
We all benefit from sharing our stories, from creativity and genuine emotional connection with others. I’m on a mission to help others learn how they too can use the process of making photographs as a way to grow, become more joyful, and as a path to living from their true selves.
Enter your name and email via the form below to receive a free guide to get you started.
Raise Your Vibration Through The Lens of Your Smartphone.
It’s a 13 page guide about how to use ‘symbolic sight’ to create a powerful visual gratitude journal using ‘The 3 L’s Framework’.
MEDIA
The Prosperous Empath Podcast: Creative Expression, Mental Health, and Healing with Carey Kirkella
I wrote a chapter in this #1 Bestselling anthology
Driven Moms Answering Adversity: Stories of Success Through Setbacks with guest Carey Kirkella
The LENS Method and Emotional Resilience
Her Talk Show with Sabrina Victoria
The Just Boldly Go Podcast