The saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words but some a picture can mean hope.
"I've been through a lot but that doesn't mean that you can't be a strong person" said 16-year-old Nasya Mejia-Her.
At the Kevin Moody Youth Home, a homeless shelter that houses 14 teens. They learned how to tell their own stories from behind the lens.
"So when I take pictures, it's more like home. It's more like a safe zone" Mejia-Her said.
Meijia-Her and her siblings were placed into the foster care system when she was 5. It's been four years since she's seen her siblings but she's counting down the next time they meet.
"When they do come back and when we are a family again, I want them to look at me and be like she's not a failure" Mejia-Her said.
All of the teens were learning about the power of photography from award-winning photojournalist Linda Solomon, who created "Pictures of Hope."
"For me personally, to be able to share what I know with the kids and to hear how photography has changed their lives" said Solomon.
Solomon travels the country teaching children how to express their feelings through picture.
"Through photography, the kids open up and share things they've never shared before" Solomon said.
The lessons start with the teens making a list of their hopes and dreams.
"My hope is to feel strong and important. My hope is for me and my dreams are for me" Mejia-Her said.
Unlike most teens their age, they aren't asking for tangible items but opportunity.
"My dream is to become more in touch with my inner self. My dream is to find my own way" Mejia-Her said. "My dream is to break the chains that hold me back."
"The pictures of hope shared by the kids today show the kids their dreams matter" Solomon said.
Their dreams matter so much to the photojournalist that she gave them all a gift.
"You get to keep these cameras forever. So this is now part of you" Solomon said. "Share with us your world."
Because a camera can capture more than a picture.
