ACFC RESIDENCY
Lens On The SideLines
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS
Alyssa Ho
Angel Torres
Anna Vasquez
Ashley Romero Gomez
MENTORS
Alejandra De la Fuente
Alex Westfall
This exhibition is sponsored by ACFC & NYX.
Hello, World!
First Last, age ##
About Me:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Quisque faucibus ex sapien vitae pellentesque sem placerat. In id cursus mi pretium tellus duis convallis. Tempus leo eu aenean sed diam urna tempor. Pulvinar vivamus fringilla lacus nec metus bibendum egestas. Iaculis massa nisl malesuada lacinia integer nunc posuere. Ut hendrerit semper vel class aptent taciti sociosqu. Ad litora torquent per conubia nostra inceptos himenaeos.
PROJECT REFLECTION
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Anna Vasquez, age 17
About Me:
My name is Anna Vasquez, I am a 17-year-old photographer based in Los Angeles. I was raised in Baldwin Park, California and am currently a Senior at Sierra Vista High School. This is my 9th semester in the Las Fotos Project. I focus on portraiture/self-portraiture and I use my work as a way of expressing myself. I started my pursuit of photography three years ago by taking pictures of nature and my sister. I have been in a few publications such as Brite Light Magazine, “Migrant Mama” mural and Virtual Reality Experience, GRL mag, and more. Soon, I plan to go to college for photography/art history. One day, I would like to publish a book about my work; showing how far I have come!
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
For my project, I decided to make a miniature set and use teddy bears to represent me in an ideal room. Outside of each window is my eye which represents the challenges I have faced whether they were past or present. I used a miniature set because whenever I face these challenges I always feel smaller, as if everything can just overtake me. It is my senior year in high school and this year comes with challenges. I try so hard to prioritize my mental health over everything but in the end I always feel smaller than I actually am.
Click left and right on the arrows below to view my zine.
Afternoon
It is supposed to be a fun day with my friend but yet the darkness from my challenges overcome me and they run and hide. I thought this would go away during the day.
Nighttime
I can see them lurking in the window, telling me I am not enough and will never be enough. I just want to spend time with others without the stress overtaking me.
Morning
I woke up and stared out the window knowing that nothing would be different from the day before. These “demons” will always be there waiting to see me crumble and I’ll be looking back hoping I don’t crumble.
Aster Sanchez, age 16
About Me:
My name is Aster Sanchez, and I am 16 years old. I identify as Hispanic and I use they/them pronouns. I’m currently a Junior at Dr. Olga Mohan High School. I enjoy being creative because I’m very passionate about creating things like photography. Photography allows me to shoot anything to my heart’s content. Some things I enjoy shooting are places that mean a lot to me, showing appreciation for a loved one, expressing myself through self-portraits, and anything else that inspires me or gets my creative juices flowing! I would describe myself as a helpful person because it makes me feel good to help others. My other hobbies besides photography are playing video games, listening to music, making jewelry, and collecting things like pins, stickers, or figures.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
My project is about the reconnections with myself and relationships with my boyfriend. After covid, I have had many relationships fade away, but I wanted to focus on the one that grew stronger throughout the pandemic. I captured images that represented the intimacy and growth of my relationship with him. I explored self-portraits to demonstrate how much I grew as a person this past year. The reason why I decided to take images of my boyfriend is because I strongly value our relationship and always believe that capturing photos can save a memory forever.
Click left and right on the arrows below to view my zine.
Us
In this photo we were on our way to Downtown Los Angeles after my boyfriend picked me up from school. I captured this photo because it was during the time where we felt comfortable with one another and when I felt happiness. Typically, we aren’t people who enjoy showing our faces so the shadows represent our true selves without our faces needed in the photo.
Me, Myself, and I
I found myself outside of my house just questioning my existence and wondering if it’s even worth it. Everyday feels blurry and it’s hard to find a reason why I keep doing it. I’ve always struggled and I’ve kept quiet about it as I find it a pain to bother others about my troubles. However, I’m trying to learn to just experience special moments in my life so the thoughts can go away for a while. I’ll keep trying.
You and Me
This photo was taken in a 7-11 mini-mart while on our way to the Michael’s store. We both love exploring new places with each other, especially in Los Angeles. I’m not fond of going out at all and my boyfriend lives in an isolated area in Orange Cove, CA. Exploring is our favorite thing to do together as we always have such a fun time and in those moments, I find a reason to keep living to experience more of them.
Caitlin Jane "CJ" Calica, age 17
About Me:
Caitlin-Jane Calica (she/her/siya), who also goes by the name CJ is a Senior attending Glendale High School. Based in Los Angeles, California she is currently seeking out opportunities that will help enlighten her creative spirit and inspire her passion for photography. Being a part of the Filipinx Community, she aims to shine a light on her culture through her photos and art. Driven, passionate, and optimistic, CJ works to be a problem solver within her city. She is currently working with her passion project, STAR (Students Together Assisting Refugees), bringing positive action to help student refugees in her region. Someone who truly inspires her is, Eduardo Masferré, a Filipino Photographer, who works mainly focused on celebrating the natives in the region of Cordillera.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
If translated to English, the word “Sari-Sari” in Tagalog would be defined as the word “miscellaneous.” Growing up I had always seen the intersections of my culture and my identity to be sari-sari or that variety mix. In my project I want to celebrate those connections of who I am, mixing each together, through the perspective of my eyes as a Filipina American teen growing up in Glendale, California. Being raised with that Pinoy way of life and the LDS practices, have significantly impacted my way of life. Despite the paucity of Filipino Mormons in my family and surroundings, I’ve always found it quite easy to connect with my Filipino culture as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So, in these final pieces, I included what I believe to be the most impactful factors that shaped the person I am today.
Click left and right on the arrows below to view my zine.
Gunita sa Katahimikan
Morrone and the trumpet, which can be found on top of every LDS temple, are recognizable features that let you know you've arrived at one of the temples. Since I was in primary school, my class and I would commemorate the midpoint of the year by visiting the Los Angeles temple and having a picnic in the visitors' center. The photo is of this temple and the overlay is a map of the location, based on my recollections of the area.
Lola Loreto
My Lola was someone with whom I never had long discussions, but we always knew how each other felt. She was born in Manila and earned a name for herself by raising seven children while also working part-time. She had relocated her family to Glendale and was the primary caretaker of my brother and me throughout our early childhood. I wanted to honor her by photographing myself alongside her photo, in which she is roughly the same age as me.
Sari-Saring Meryenda
My main source of Filipino snacks growing up was the Eagle Rock Mall. So when I landed in the Philippines, I discovered many of the junk foods I ate in Glendale were sold on vendor bikes instead of shops. I wanted to depict a food that is often sold in both regions, as well as a drawing of one of the vendors I used to frequent during my time there, by overlapping the two and creating a link between them.
Chalchioyacatzi Alcala, age 13
About Me:
My name is Chalchioyacatzi Alcala, really long, I know. My friends and family call me Chachis. I am a 13-year-old girl from Boyle Heights. I love to draw, paint, read, and spend time with my dogs. I love to take pictures on my iPhone; my dad calls me the “picture lady” because I enjoy capturing candid moments of my friends, family, and sometimes food. I never thought I would be joining Las Fotos Project, but this semester I decided to give it a try. I wanted to meet other girls in my community. Someone who inspires me is my sister Ketzally. I look up to my sister because she has accomplished so much at such a young age— I would like to be like that one day. Some things that interest me are theater and writing. The kind of photography that interests me most is urban or architectural photography.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
I would describe my project as a way to see through my eyes. It is about how different experiences affect how people see the world. We could look at the sky in the same spot, but my sky might be gray while yours might be pink. I believe this project helped me expand my mind to the endless possibilities of photography and how photographs can convey some emotion behind it. My mood really influenced my photography; it affected how I saw the world through the camera lens and it felt like my changing moods told me what to capture. Another thing that influenced my work was my experiences and how I identified my emotions. When people look at my photos, I want them to feel as though they’ve just seen the world through someone else’s eyes. It would be cool if my photos allow others to reflect on and heal through their own experiences.
Click left and right on the arrows below to view my zine.
Self-Portrait
This is one of my only self-portraits. I decided to use this photo because it was based on my first idea of my project which was “how people use clothing to express themselves.” I thought it would be important to still have that in this project albeit in a different perspective. I’m not sure how to explain this photo but maybe that’s what I love about it, there’s no right or wrong way to look at it.
The Sky and the City
The sky. The sky is a piece of art that someone renews every day. It never looks the same twice and I find that quite beautiful. The city. The city of L.A has been home to many different people throughout its years. I find that the city is a beautiful place and has been quite important and it's where I've had my most memorable experiences and it's changed how I see the world. Good or bad, it's been there.
The Window
The window. There is a door and a window. How interesting they both look like art, to me an undeniable urge to paint this and represent this art in different mediums. For example, I took this picture to capture exactly one of the many ways this one piece of an experience could be shown and shared with the world. My favorite part of this collage is how the pictures work together.
Haley Santibañez, age 17
About Me:
My name is Haley Santibañez and I’m 17 years old, in 11th grade at Stern Mass. What inspires me to be a photographer is that l get to capture moments in my life and history and turn them into my own artistic piece. I enjoy taking pictures whenever l have the time because I love creating beautiful images that have stories behind them and sharing them with people. What l like best about myself is that l am open to new things and love learning about subjects that interest me. Something I would tell new photographers is that trial and error is key in learning photography. Everyone makes mistakes and over time your experience will grow and you’ll get more comfortable. The same thing can be said about any new hobby or subject that you want to learn. It is important to never give up on something that you find engaging and remember to value what you do. As a photographer at Las Fotos Project, I have improved significantly in managing the technical side of the camera. I used to just take pictures as-is without changing my camera settings, but now I am always cognizant of adjusting my settings to make sure I am getting the image I want. I am really proud of myself for developing new skills that I have been taught at Las Fotos Project because it shows how far I have come from when I first started.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
My memories of family, especially those of my grandmother, are not only in my head and heart,but are captured in photographs to keep them alive. I made collages of photographic memories of my family, objects with significant meaning, and portraits of myself. I wanted to capture the vibrant colors of all these things because they take me back to my past and childhood, which was full of color and brightness. What made me want to start this project was that my grandmother and grandfather recently moved to Mexico, leaving the home where my whole family was raised, including myself, over the past 30 years. I have grown to miss my grandparents but also the house and the memories that we created in it. In these images I wanted to contribute important objects that were meaningful to me and reminded me of home. These objects don’t just represent who I am but also my heritage and roots, just like my memories that have made me into the person I am.
Click left and right on the arrows below to view my zine.
Self-Portrait
This is one of my only self-portraits. I decided to use this photo because it was based on my first idea of my project which was “how people use clothing to express themselves.” I thought it would be important to still have that in this project albeit in a different perspective. I’m not sure how to explain this photo but maybe that’s what I love about it, there’s no right or wrong way to look at it.
The Sky and the City
The sky. The sky is a piece of art that someone renews every day. It never looks the same twice and I find that quite beautiful. The city. The city of L.A has been home to many different people throughout its years. I find that the city is a beautiful place and has been quite important and it's where I've had my most memorable experiences and it's changed how I see the world. Good or bad, it's been there.
The Window
The window. There is a door and a window. How interesting they both look like art, to me an undeniable urge to paint this and represent this art in different mediums. For example, I took this picture to capture exactly one of the many ways this one piece of an experience could be shown and shared with the world. My favorite part of this collage is how the pictures work together.
Selene Medina, age 17
About Me:
My name is Selene Medina. I am a 17 year old senior at Franklin High School. I have been into photography since middle school, but I got the opportunity to join Las Fotos Project this semester. Joining Las Fotos Project has taught me to be open to different styles of photography. I started by taking pictures of what I found interesting and beautiful on my phone— this is how I found my love for photography. When I got the chance to use a real camera, I enjoyed taking pictures of areas in my community that felt nostalgic and culturally beautiful. In the future, I would love to represent my community and other communities similar to mine. Additionally, I am interested in finding my individuality within the field of photography.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Growing up in Lincoln Heights has raised me and taught me so much about myself, I wanted to show this through my art. This project represents the art that I appreciate. I wanted to capture my community that is very beautiful to me. I chose to represent myself through experiences, spaces and people who have left an impact on me by taking an abstract approach to showing how I view myself.
Click left and right on the arrows below to view my zine.
Skater Ang3l
My sister, Dalia, has played an important role in making me feel comfortable in my skin. An angel rests on her skin and reminds me of her love.
Seluna
Through this fence, I gaze at myself. As I’ve grown up I have felt a stronger connection to the moon. Selene is the moon goddess. The moon continues to guide me through life. I cherish her.
La Estrella
La Virgen de Guadalupe is a mural I see often in Los Angeles. She reminds me of my childhood. I see her in Mexican restaurants and on Library murals. Here she is captured in a Tacos Estrella restaurant, a place I got to eat occasionally growing up.
Uzuri Ray, age 14
About Me:
My name is Uzuri Ray, I am a 14-year-old, bisexual, Mexican-American 9th grader who attends Girls Academic Leadership Academy. My mother comes from Morelia, Michoacán. I go by any pronouns. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and have lived in Boyle Heights all my life. I like creating photographs that capture people at the right moment. I often prefer to take portraits of people when they don’t know I am taking a photo. I also experiment with different colored lights in my photographs.
Working with Las Fotos Project was the first time I started using a camera to take photos, but I have always been interested in photography. I like to spend my time reading, listening to music, and taking photos around my house. I like listening to music any time I can and enjoy listening to Taylor Swift the most. In this semester of Las Fotos Project, I explored my relationships with each member of my family.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project is a statement about my family. I tried to make each photo show my relationship with the person I photographed. Throughout this project I experimented with different angles to relay the different emotions I felt when capturing each person. I chose to photograph my family because I spent a lot of time with them during quarantine while I had to attend online school. I was constantly with them and I wanted to make something to show how my relationship with each person developed and changed. I mostly focused on my siblings in these photos because my relationship with my siblings was what was most affected during the time of quarantine. We were constantly getting on each other’s nerves when we were stuck at home. However, after going back to school, I realized that I found comfort in the chaos of doing school at home and started to miss it. I photographed my siblings to honor the close relationship we fostered during quarantine.
Click left and right on the arrows below to view my zine.
Fresh out of the Pool
This photo was taken after getting out of swim team practice outside of La Estrella restaurant in Boyle Heights. It was my first week of the program and I was so excited to start taking photos so I asked my sister to pose for me. She agreed and we had a mini photoshoot outside of the restaurant. I really like the angle this photo was taken from because it shows how I look up to her.
First Competition
I took this photo at my younger sibling’s first dive competition while she was waiting for her age group’s turn to compete. My favorite thing about this photo is the shadow of the gate. This competition was my sibling’s first dive competition. We got there at 8 in the morning and didn't leave until 2PM.
Father Daughter Relationship
This photo shows my older sister and my dad. It was taken at the Americana at Brand in Los Angeles. I like the space between my sister and dad in this photo. It represents how sometimes my dad can be there, but not really be there. My dad hasn’t always connected with me and my sister, but he has started to try to connect with us more.