LOVE stands for “Lens Of Vision & Expression.” LOVE is a non-profit created by Samantha Oulavong to provide digital photography workshops for non-profit organizations working with marginalized children around the world.

The children from LOVE’s workshop have documented their lives photographically and the issues surrounding them: their living conditions, environment, work situations, as well as their dreams for the future. LOVE is addressing these issues by empowering marginalized children to escape the cycle of poverty. Against this background of poverty, the children’s photographs illustrates the dignity and sensitivity of the community and of each other.

Photography gives the children a voice, when their own voices often go unheard. Because the future of humanity is dependent on children, LOVE is committed to helping marginalized children to give witness and challenge to the world.

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Photographed by various children who participated in a LOVE workshop in Cambodia

LOVE’s Website: www.lensofvisionexpression.org
LOVE on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/love-love

I started to take pictures by chance, I was 27 and had never really held a camera. Maybe it was time for me to say something and I simply used it as a tool, just like a writer would use his pen…

I began a project about homeless people living through Paris Streets in 2006. Then I started to explore the other side of this world, bringing my camera backstage at Paris Fashion shows…whatever I photograph, I always look for the same thing : People.They can be poor or rich, young, old, powerful  or not, what I’m looking for is elsewhere, it’s about a look, a connection, maybe just a feeling. Sometimes I wonder if it’s not myself that I try to see through these pictures.
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Photography by Pierre Belhassen
Pierre’s work on Flickr

These arms of mine
They are lonely, lonely and feeling blue
These arms of mine
They are yearning, yearning from wanting you

And if you would let them hold you
Oh, how grateful I will be
These arms of mine
They are burning, burning from wanting you
These arms of mine
They are wanting, wanting to hold you

And if you would let them hold you
Oh, how grateful I will be
Come on, come on baby
Just be my little woman, just be my lover, oh
I need me somebody, somebody to treat me right, oh
I need your woman’s loving arms to hold me tight
And I…I…I need…I need your…I need your tender lips”

Otis Redding, These Arms Of Mine

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Photograph and poem by Unxpektd

Anyone, regardless of means, can enjoy simple play.

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Photographs by Alessandro Neri

His family went to the capital San Salvador to visit some speeches by the candidates for the presidential elections. They came back with a lot of promotional material given by supporters of the current president from the Arena party.

Angel was so happy with his new shirt and hat that he was finally willing to pose for a picture. I posted him before the same wall as 3,5 years earlier…

A while ago Angel fell out of a tree and broke his left upper arm and wrist. Unfortunately they could not go to a hospital and so they had to fix it themselves. Despite the bend in his upper arm he can use it and it still improves.

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Photograph by Imar

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Photograph by Sebastian Miguel

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Photographed by Samantha Oulavong

Photo essay by Christophe Lecoq