ABOUT FIRST EXPOSURES

First Exposures is a arts mentoring program, which offers free photography classes to young people in our community. Fall 2020 semester will be virtual, we are accepting applicants in and outside of the Bay Area.

Students are 11 - 18 years old and want to learn how to do photography with the help of a mentor. While learning how to make art, the students in First Exposures also develop academic and life skills. Our goal is to provide art education to underserved youth from a variety of backgrounds including those who come from families who could not otherwise afford photography classes, are in the foster care system, and/or who are underserved by the larger community in some way. 

All accepted students will learn how to take photographs and exhibit them at the end of the year. Students are assigned experienced photography mentors who work with them at each session.

The application should take about 30 minutes to complete. We recommend finishing it in one sitting. If you need to return to it:
- Finish the page you're on and click Next. This will save your changes.
- When you're ready to come back, use the same computer and browser. 

QUESTIONS? Please call or email Aneeta Mitha:
310-210-5486 /// aneeta@firstexposures.org
First Exposures is an excellent opportunity for you to
learn photography, build friendships, and have fun!
What is a mentor?

Each mentee in the fall program is matched with a mentor in a 1:1 ratio for the entire time that they participate in the program. A mentor is like a Big Brother or Big Sister. They are photographers and educators who volunteer their time to work with young people who want to learn photography.

How can I be a First Exposures mentee?

If you want to learn how to make your own photographs with the help of a mentor, you can be a part of First Exposures. You have to be ready to make a commitment to this fun, exciting art program and come to every single Saturday class from September 12th to December 12th. You may remain in the program longer if you decide that you like it.
What you get in First Exposures:
  • Tools to make photographs
  • Access to photo editing software
  • Mentors to help you learn
  • Photography lessons
  • The opportunity to exhibit your art
  • Exciting virtual field trips and workshops
  • Longlasting friendships
What you give in First Exposures:
  • An hour and a half every Saturday for class
  • Your focus and excitement to learn
  • Your participation in classroom activities, discussions, and projects
  • Commitment to learning and working in your pairs and as a group
  • Help with respecting the First Exposures Virtual space
Fall Application due August 30th, 2020

Date: Every Saturday from September 12th to December 12th
Time: Two class options offered, mornings or afternoons for 1.5 hours
Where: In the virtual world
First Exposures Virtual Fall Program details:

First Exposures is approaching Fall 2020 in a new way! Our theme this year will be Inside Out, which will center the voice, experience, and imagination of our youth during the quarantine, culminating in a project at the end of the semester. We want this semester to be about the diverse and unique ways young people process, make sense of, and create their realities, empowering them to dream of new worlds and possibilities. To look at some great examples, look here, here, here, here, and here!

Fall 2020 will run from September 12th to December 12th; to maintain safety for our community, we will be holding all of our classes virtually. We will be offering two class focuses, "fiction" and "nonfiction", as well as, two class times to choose from, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The times of each class will be confirmed through email. All of our classes will be taught by instructors, using digital cameras, photo editing software, and creativity as our tools.

The Fiction Focus will be a class that explores photography styles such as fine art, conceptual, abstract, and experimental.

The Nonfiction Focus will be a class that explores photography styles such as documentary, photojournalism, and street photography.

Question Title

* Full Name

Question Title

* Which time do you prefer?

Question Title

* Which focus do you prefer?

T