“Create Yourself” Teaches Children to take Photos

A crowd like this hasn't gathered on a weekday at the Moscow Zoo in a long time. Adults and children walk along the paths, take photographs, sit on the benches and eat ice cream. A group of children toting cameras surrounds the giraffe and try to capture his curious features in their viewfinders. Still ahead: flamingos, peacocks, wolves and even a lion or two.

On May 28, the first master class in photography for children participating in the charitable program "Create Yourself" was held at the Moscow Zoo and sponsored by The Moscow Times in partnership National Geographic Russia and the Union of Naturalist Photographers. There will be more master classes in the future: under the tutelage of famous photographers Vladimir Meshkov and Alexander Myaskov, children will learn to work with Kodak digital cameras and to photograph animals.

The children receive gifts at the conclusion of the lessons - a "Create Yourself" album, National Geographic Russia magazine, an assortment of Kinder chocolates from the Ferrero company and complimentary tickets to the musical "Carlson."

The next master classes will be held in June and September at the zoo and the butterfly museum. The instructional master classes will continue through autumn and conclude with an exhibition of the children's photographs as well as the printing of an album containing their best work, in partnership with VTB Capital and the Moscow House of Photography.

We are sometimes unable to influence the world around us, but we can always change ourselves. "Create yourself" - and change this world for the better.