Dancing down the aisle of historic St. Augustine Church in Treme, the Rev. Jerome LeDoux punched the air, singing "Shake the Devil Off" as Nikon-toters recorded one of his last moments as pastor. Among them was Aaliliah Carr, 9, joined by fellow photography student Niya Zulu, 8.

While other photographers are recording New Orleans' bleak, post-Katrina landscape, Jim Belfon is focusing on its storm-struck people, especially young people yearning to see their world through the lens of a camera.

Belfon, whose love of photography blossomed during the heyday of 1950s jazz, is the executive director of the Photographic Center of Harlem, where he has helped children learn and appreciate photography for 18 years. He plans to set up a similar center in New Orleans, where he has taken up residence, to help youngsters investigate photography as a recreational activity, an art form and a career choice.
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"When I heard about Katrina, I contributed money and different things through various organizations," Belfon said. "But I wanted to do more."

The idea of connecting with New Orleans' children "just clicked" after listening to the cries of people who survived the hurricane but lost homes and possessions to the flood that followed, Belfon said, as the setting sun cast an orange glow across the St. Augustine Church courtyard on Wednesday.

"Over and over again, I heard people yearning for two things," he said. "The family Bible and photo albums."

Belfon has spent years in Harlem bringing young photographers to homeless shelters and senior centers to take portraits and then present copies to their subjects.

"So why not do this in New Orleans?" he said. "I did not want to photograph destruction."

Instead, he could help children "see themselves through this traumatic event" by taking photographs and sharing them, Belfon said. "It is a win-win all the way around."

Finding her frame

Belfon arrived in New Orleans about five months ago and has worked with about 60 children. The city and its people are tugging at his heart, he said, and he finds his feet planted more firmly in the Crescent City than Harlem, where Belfon, with financial help from corporations and organizations, provides free photography workshops for children who often go on to buy their own equipment.

"New Orleans to me is extended family," Belfon said. "I find myself coming back and visiting New York. I've done more personal photography in New Orleans in the last three months than I did in the last year in New York."

His work with young photographers in New Orleans "has been well received and we've so much work yet to be done," Belfon said.

Aaliliah Carr, 9, said she snapped her first photograph a few months ago after Belfon placed a Nikon camera in her hands and said, "Here you go. Take a picture."

Aaliliah said Belfon looked at her effort, then showed her how to frame something vertically and horizontally.

"I like to take pictures during Mass services, because you get to see a lot of things, like Father LeDoux when he shakes off the devil," Aaliliah said, referring to the animated songs of St. Augustine's former pastor.

Taking portraits of her neighbors during "these hard times" is important, Aaliliah said. "They can get their family pictures back and pass them down" to future generations.

Belfon was Aaliliah's age and growing up in the Bronx when, because he wasn't a whiz at basketball, he became interested in photography. "I would photograph the team," he said. "And when I brought in my shots, I was king for a day."

A fourth-grade whiz at finance, Belfon sold his photos for 50 cents.

With money made by shoveling snow, he paid $15 for his first camera: an Argus C3, he said.

As a senior in high school, Belfon was photographing the likes of John Coltrane, Gil Evans and Herbie Mann at places such as the Village Gate, the Village Vanguard and Birdland.

Renowned jazz photographer Chuck Stewart "lived in my housing complex and was my first mentor," Belfon said. Belfon traveled the world taking photographs that appeared in publications such as Time magazine, Architectural Digest and Sports Illustrated.

"Then I was blessed to have a son and that changed my world," said Belfon, whose son Jimmy is now 21 and a medical student.

Jimmy was 2 when Belfon placed the camera strap around his son's neck for the first time.

As Jimmy grew up, his "interest and enthusiasm" for photography spread to other children in the neighborhood, which led to the opening of the Photographic Center of Harlem.

"I consider Jimmy my co-founder," Belfon said.