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Voice Out is May 3rd!

Join us on May 3 at 4PM for a FREE community celebration of youth voice, bold creativity, and the visions shaping our future.

🎧 Live DJ.
🎨 Gallery showcase.
🎤 Artist panel.

Come through for conversation, free nachos, and inspiration. 🔥

Get Tickets

News & Resources

Perspective

Through My Lens: Sienna DiMuro

January 14, 2019

I truly believe that scars are our most beautiful battle wounds. When I was walking through that room, and making eye contact with the guests, I was sharing things I had never said out loud before. I took over the entire room, and saw within myself this amazing power. In that moment I was finally able to own my story, which I never thought I could do.

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Perspective

Through My Lens: Christina Gustin

January 9, 2019

"You teach a skill like photography, but then you empower kids to find their inner voice, and tell their own unique stories with photographs. You teach them to tell other people’s stories, and how to create change in their communities. You’re creating these artistic, expressive, empowered community activists, who want to change the world and they actually know how to do it. That’s such a powerful thing.”

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Blog

FOTO TJ Book

October 12, 2018

We created images that represent who we are, and wrote poems about our past. We met folks with unsteady health conditions who taught us about endurance, perseverance, and the joy of life. We explored Tijuana - a city filled with colors, flavors, and smells. We learned about local art, walked through the streets, and captured images that were always intriguing and in some cases new and innovative. After our journey, we had a final exhibit where we talked about our work and why it is important to continue creating images that represent who we are!

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Perspective

Through My Lens: Armando

September 6, 2018

Armando is a senior at La Jolla Day Country school. This will be his first year joining the Youth Council. When he gets to college he plans on pursuing a major in Photography and a minor in Business and Entrepreneurship.

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Blog

Paz

June 4, 2018

There is an exhilarating feeling that comes with traveling somewhere new; smiling at an unfamiliar face, scarfing down local cuisine, touching your bare feet on the grass, jamming to a new beat. I’d describe it as an immediate vulnerability with the unknown; holding hands with the excitement of exploration. I have been incredibly fortunate to have had this feeling many times, and I never want it to stop.

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Blog

In Translation: The Camera as a Catalyst for Conversation

April 23, 2018

We’re only driving 35 miles, but the distance feels further. Julia, an immersion trip coordinator for USD’s service learning program, dashes us through the freeway lanes and swifty carries us in her small car across the Otay Border. We drive east towards Tecate, far from downtown Tijuana, far from the housing developments, down a long hill to land at a lightly maintained road leading us up to Albergue las Memorias - a center for those living with HIV/AIDS, addictions, and their family members.

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Blog

Cine en Sherman a comenzado!

February 22, 2018

The inaugural screening of the film series Cine en Sherman took place last month at Sherman Heights Community Center. The featured film of the evening was Tony-The Movie, a portrait of homelessness in San Diego as seen through the eyes of the film’s star, Tony. The filmmaker, Dennis Stein, follows Tony as he navigates his housing options and searches for solutions to homelessness, not just as it affects him, but as it affects thousands across the county.

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Perspective

Through My Lens: Landon

December 19, 2017

Landon is a senior at Met High School, currently in his second year of our Youth Council program and third semester as an intern with Outside The Lens.

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Perspective

Through My Lens: Anthony

December 7, 2017

Anthony is a photography student and class assistant with Outside The Lens’ Cameras in Communities program at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center for adults with developmental disabilities. After completing his third semester with Outside The Lens, Anthony spoke about his experience at our annual Shutter and Stout Gala. In his speech Anthony mentioned the impact that […]

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Perspective

Through My Lens: Polo

November 21, 2017

When I look through the viewfinder, I see the world as a multitude of inspirations, waiting to be created into messages, stories, and poems.

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Blog

Ivy Gordon Receives Inaugural Focus Award for Community Leadership

October 2, 2017

​It’s that time of year again when everyone at Outside The Lens (OTL) is busy prepping for our annual fundraiser, Shutter and Stout 2017! This year’s event will be held October 14th at Farmer and the Seahorse in La Jolla. As an additional feature of this year’s event, and for the first time ever, Outside The Lens will be awarding the Focus Award for Community Leadership to Ivy Gordon.

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Blog

CxC in Bosnia-Herzegovina – A Student Perspective

September 25, 2017

In the Cameras Across Cultures BiH program, Kimberly collaborated with local students from Bosnia-Herzegovina and American students to create a short narrative film, which screened at the opening of the Mediterranean Film Festival in Široki Brijeg. We chatted with Kimberly to talk about her about her first trip abroad, collaboration in film, what it’s like to climb mountains for two 5-second takes, and why Snapchat on the big screen is the next big thing in filmmaking.

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