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Welcome / about etl 

It is the mission of Engage the Light to create a strong network of individuals who use photography as a means to engage one another and the world with compassion and creativity.

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Photography is a powerful way to communicate our unique experiences and explore our connections to each other and to the world around us. To create photographs, we must engage a physical source of light. The camera can’t operate in complete darkness any better than humans can. Additionally, we must engage the world around us. Our interactions with one another can be an emotional source of light—a way to take positive action even in the darkest of times. As Martin Luther King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.” The Engage the Light curriculum seeks to engage both literal and figurative light: the light required to make photographs and the light that exposes the darkness and allows interconnection and empathy to develop. Through this process, we not only create compelling images that communicate what words often cannot, but we also create a strong network of individuals who engage one another and the world with compassion and creativity.

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Engage the Light is a series of photography workshops and photowalks for military veterans and at-risk communities in the Lubbock, Texas, area. The series is led by photographer and Army veteran Dr. Tif Holmes and is rooted in contemplative photography practice (Miksang). Weekend workshop series and residencies can be arranged outside of Lubbock. Contact Dr. Holmes for more information.

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The first Engage the Light workshop was held at Yoga Bean in Lubbock, Texas, in January 2014. Weekly photowalks for military veterans and civilian allies began in March 2014.

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