CEO: Creative Entrepreneurship 

Adria Marin, age 16

Adria Marin is an experimental photographer based in Los Angeles, California. She first fell in love with photography nearly two years ago when she joined Las Fotos Project. Now a junior in high school, her passion for this medium is blossoming. Though she has captured group and event photos in the past, she is currently focusing on product and portrait shots. Adria is inspired by her culture and the community around her, and she looks forward to exploring her identity as a firstborn Mexican-Guatemalan American. Not only is she aware of the misrepresentation within the photography industry, but she hopes to make a positive impact and inspire other young Latina women like herself.

Andrea Popoca, age 15

Andrea Popoca is a 15-year-old photographer who specializes in covering events and portraiture. She started taking an interest in photography at 12 years old and continues to develop her practice with Las Fotos Project. Popoca’s photography aims to tell stories of the people and places she comes in contact with, allowing her to step out of her comfort zone and grow into a more outgoing artist. Photography has given Popoca exciting opportunities to network with new people and travel. She enjoys photography and hopes to inspire and share her passion through her work.

Celeste Umana, age 16

My name is Celeste Umana, and I am a Latina photographer from South LA. I began as a student at Las Fotos Project in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to experiment with different types of photography styles. I find my photography often telling stories through portraits and candids as well as using light and colors to allow emotions to shine through. I’ve developed a unique eye that displays my creativity and attention to detail in the photographs I capture in different environments. Through my experiences and friendships, I have noticed the lack of representation behind and in front of the camera. I hope to take photography into my adult life and shoot long-form storytelling of different influential figures.

Ixchel Cruz, age 16

Ixchel Cruz is a 16-year-old nonbinary artist from Los Angeles who photographs the world around them in a captivating way. Their art derives from his sense of perception of the world around him. His friends, family, and community are often the subject of their photos as they contribute to their identity. She loves to photograph those candid moments around her, as well as the color that emerges from them. She enjoys using moody lighting to evoke a sense of emotion from the viewer. Through photography, Ixchel captures the energy, color, and coolness to express their identity and tell a story.

Ketzally Alcala, age 15

Ketzally Alcala is a 15 year old Photographer based in East LA. Her passion for photography began in 2018 when she first joined Las Fotos Project. During her time with the organization, she has been able to experiment with different niches and has grown a love for portraiture, lifestyle and more recently editorial photography. Ketzally aims to capture those who aren’t often highlighted and represented in the media. She hopes that when others see her work, they are transported into the moment she witnesses through her camera lens.

Kimberly Espinosa, age 17

From the community of Koreatown, Kimberly Espinosa is a Zapotec youth artist and community organizer.

Through a range of portraiture, still life and documentary photography, she hopes to explore family history, identity and community. Las Fotos Project, a community organization based in East LA that supports teen photographers, equipped Kimberly with the resources and support system to engage in photography. Joining Las Fotos Project and her experiences along with reflection on grief after the passing of her father further developed a sense of importance to capture the stories of their Indigenous relatives by documenting them through photography, audio, and other multimedia. Kimberly’s photography centers around storytelling by covering daily intergenerational dynamics. Their work exists as a form of healing by honoring the memories once spent with loved ones and community.

Kyra Saldaña, age 18

Kyra Saldaña (she/her) is an 18-year-old photographer based in Westwood, CA. As a college freshman navigating the ever-changing world around her, Kyra’s camera helps ground her and direct focus on all the beautifully simple things happening this very second. She is currently studying sociology at UCLA and draws inspiration from learning about the relationships we all have with one another. Because of this, Kyra focuses mainly on portraiture but also has experience in event and editorial work. With all her art, she aims to capture the magic in the raw, genuine moments of the human experience.

Michelle Montenegro, age 18

Growing up, I’ve always been attracted to art, specifically photography. It’s given me the freedom to express myself and my ideas. My motivation in using photography to combat conventional beauty standards, embrace the Latinx community in LA, and bring awareness to social issues stems from growing up in a community that is negatively presented in the media. Being able to take people into my camera lens to see the beauty and warmth of my community is an extraordinary power. My goal is to help others feel seen and empowered with feelings of warmth and love in environments we’re taught we have to flee from to succeed. Photography gives me a voice to tell stories of people and places through my perspective.

Ruth Gutierrez, age 16

My name is Ruth Gutierrez, and I am a 16-year-old photographer from Highland Park. After a long practice of self-portraiture, I have expanded into photographing others and their personalities. Over the years of working on my photography and exploring many different niches, I can now say with confidence that I am a portrait photographer. I love to capture the emotion of people, the mood of a setting and use that to tell a story. My work is constantly evolving, and I’m confident that it never will stop.

Sawyer Sarinana, age 14

Sawyer Sarinana is a 14-year-old photographer living in Los Angeles. An avid reader from a young age, her love for stories and storytelling informs her interest in journalism and photography. A member of Las Fotos Project since Spring 2020, she enjoys making work that showcases the narrative potential of photography. Inspired by personal experiences, local communities, and the world around her, Sawyer is particularly interested in exploring lesser known, overlooked, and offbeat topics. Her work ranges from conceptual to documentary in its approach, and current projects include a study on the interplay between natural forms, light, and shadow.

Valeria Hernandez, age 17

Valeria Hernandez is a 17-year-old photographer based in Los Angeles. She started practicing photography in 2018. With a strong passion for portraiture that captures and challenges ideas of femininity, she is greatly inspired by the women in her life and her photography focuses heavily on women with a goal to capture their realistic portrayals. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career where she can use her photography to challenge society’s expectations of who can and should be represented in the media.

Xochitl Cruz, age 17

I am a city kid; my inspirations are Wang Wei, Tyrone Lebon, and Glen Luchford, whose photos are living through a metropolitan city lens. As a young woman, I am always looking to the future and what life will be like after senior year. My photos are influenced by my relationship with comfort/discomfort and presence in the city and the ticking clock that separates my teenage years from young adulthood. Using an editorial eye, my portfolio explores what it means to be barely legal in LA and the dance around self-image and maturity. Merging portraits of my friends, myself, my environment, and hanging out in the city, my work explores how the tension between authenticity and construction informs how teens present themselves. It conveys teen life as a combination of a Vice article, a Vogue “Get Ready with Me”, and an i-D profile, all set to a backdrop of LA.