Tag Archives: Please Read (if at all possible)

Board Member Kate Engelbrecht’s New Book on Teen Girls

She’s the First board member Kate Engelbrecht is a New York City photographer who has been collaborating with American teenage girls to document their lives as they see it. Kate started The Girl Project in 2007, and her work culminates on August 30 with the release of her book Please Read (if at all possible).

For The Girl Project, Kate sent disposable cameras to teenage volunteers across the country with the request that they shoot what was important to them – their friends, their environments and representations of their aspirations.

As STF’s photographer, I spoke to Kate about her inspirations and what she learned about the Millennial generation while completing the project.

She’s the First (STF): What about the teenage experience inspired you to start The Girl Project?

Kate Engelbrecht (K.E.): What interested me initially, was how unimpressive the representations of today’s girls were or are.  I found it disturbing… and curious. After getting into the project however, my inspiration started to come from how amazing the reality is.  The reality is so much more substantive… and much more interesting than the way the media portrays girls and teenage girl life.

STF: Did any of the submissions surprise you or reveal something about American teens that you hadn’t expected?

K.E.: I think the entire thing surprised me actually.  Sadly I had started to believe all the horrible things I was seeing and reading about teenage girls… and to see the photos was such a breath of fresh air.  The images reveal intimate, personal moments in a girl’s life… and show us how universally poignant these moments are.

(C) The Girl Project

STF: She’s the First is a huge advocate of social media and digital technology — what was the response from the girls to the analog nature of the disposable film cameras?

K.E.: It’s funny.  Many of the girls had never shot film before!  Some struggled not being able to have the immediacy that digital affords us… but most really seemed to enjoy the process of film.  I also think that using film forced them to slow down a bit… and really think about what they wanted to convey.  In this way film forced a more thoughtful response to the project.

(C) The Girl Project

STF: The Girl Project and Please Read (if at all possible) are great examples the kind of visual storytelling we love here on Aspire. We encourage all of our partner organizations to document the everyday lives of the girls around the world. Can you explain the universal benefit of sharing these intimate stories of teenagedom?

K.E.: Oh gosh… there is so much to say on this subject.  Perhaps the greatest benefit, like with all communication, is that we are able to understand that our experiences are shared.  They are universal.  As unique as we may be, we are also experiencing life very similar to others.  And this is key.  This is what The Girl Project and the book are all about… the understanding that we are not alone.  I would also say that sharing stories about girl life and teenagedom is necessary in order for people to really understand teenage girls.  If adults and the media don’t understand, then they get it wrong.  And when they get it wrong, which they so often do, they sell a false idea of girlhood back to girls… and this is a vicious cycle… one that I hope more and more access to digital media and the sharing of ideas, will soon break.  Hopefully Please Read (if at all possible) will in some small way contribute.

(C) The Girl Project

Kate’s book, Please Read (if at all possible), is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.