digital promotoras: KEEPSAKES

The photos we collect via photo albums or dropboxes act as keepsakes of special moments in time. But these keepsakes have also played integral parts in preserving the histories of our families and communities, their triumphs, and their struggles.

Oftentimes, these archival images are the only things we have to piece together our ancestral narratives and keep them alive.

This semester, our Digital Promotoras explored how the practice of creating personal archives can act as a powerful tool for personal preservation. They explored their own cultural and familial histories while preserving and creating their own archives as a way to combat erasure, connect with lineages, and share stories often unseen or forgotten.

TEACHING ARTISTS
Adam Davis and Emily Berl
TEACHING ARTIST ASSISTANT
Jax Borrego
MENTORS
Alondra Costilla, Caroline Alfonso, Crys Lee, Danielle Del Rosario, Elisa Park, Gaby Biasi, Juli Perez, Kat De Guzman, Lani De Soto, Monika Ottehenning, Nicole Maturo, René Paramore, and Susanica Tam

Photo printing for this exhibition sponsored by The Icon

 
 

Aimee Hernandez,
Age 13

ABOUT ME

My name is Aimee Hernandez. I was born near downtown Los Angeles and I have been living there my whole life. My interests and hobbies are listening to music, reading, learning how to bake, and becoming better at photography. With my photography this semester, I have mainly been working with my family archives and exploring landscapes. Overall, I hope to advance my skills in photography as well as baking. I currently attend Alliance College Ready Middle Academy #12 and will graduate this spring.

Dinner Time
This picture was taken as dinner time was happening and the table was set to eat. In the picture, the foods displayed are molotes and tomato soup. This specific meal would represent the foods that my mother frequently made (tomato soup) and the molotes represent the recipes that my grandma taught my mother. It is important since it symbolizes our old family (the molotes) and our current family (the tomato soup).

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The reason I chose these photos is because I think that they really represent who my family and I are. The details that the photos show are memories of when my family does something, goes somewhere, how our family has changed, and overall our bond as a family throughout the years. In general, my influences are the places and overall things I see around me, but for these photos what really influenced me was the fact that I was going to be able to showcase my family. I want people to see these photos and make them remember their own familiar bond that they can have with what they consider their own family.

Alejandra Martinez Cortes, age 16

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

My piece has a great impact on me, as it is an image of my late abuela. The point of view of my art style is showcasing the good and bad of life. My relationship with my grandma was rocky, however, when she passed away in early January 2021 due to Covid, my whole perspective of life changed. Now I like to showcase images of life in the eyes of a nomad—which is something I am not, I'm just trying to be.

 

Los Recuerdos
Los recuerdos de abuelita.

ABOUT ME

I, Alejandra Martinez Cortes, am a Mexican L.A.-based artist. Growing up I had an artistic family from the jump. I'm an artist indulging in Mexican culture, celebrating life's bad and good. I work in multiple mediums and incorporate them into my photography. As an artist, I like for my work to represent my love and hatred of things/people. My inspiration for art comes from using colors and objects as a relationship.

Amira "Mimi" Veal,
Age 18

 

ABOUT ME

My photography skills have improved over the years. It has been five years since I started photography. My love for photography started in 2018 when I was taking a film class at Inner-City Arts summer camp. I love filming and working with the camera. In 2019, they started to offer photography classes. I decided to take it, since I like taking pictures on my phone, and wanted to learn more about cameras. After those classes, I started to want to learn more about photography. In 2020, when everything was virtual, my assistant principal introduced me to Las Fotos Project. It was hard to learn how to work a camera virtually, but I got through it. I got my very first professional camera in 2021, the best Christmas gift ever. With the support of my family, friends, and Las Fotos, my work has improved so much. I’m glad to be where I am.

Melanated Warmed
A lot of my pictures are taken in the moment instead of staged, and this is one of them. It was in February, and the Black Student Union at my school was planning Black History Month (BHM). My friends, Xavier, left, and Victoria, right, looked in same direction and the sun was shining perfectly on them. I just took a bunch of pictures for fun, so I quickly took a picture of them before they noticed.

DIFFERENT SHADES OF THE SUN

A lot of my pictures are in the moment instead of staged, and this is one of them. It was in February, and the Black Student Union at my school was planning Black History Month (BHM). My friends, Xavier, left, and Victoria, right, looked in the same direction and the sun was shining perfectly on them. I just took a bunch of pictures for fun, so I quickly took a picture of them before they noticed. After uploading the pictures onto my computer I realized how great it looks. This was my first time editing a picture of mine. With the edits, the pictures came out so beautifully. I’m so glad I was able to capture the gorgeousness of black people with the sun. It brings out the color of our skin, no matter the shade of color we are.

Andrea Ramirez, Age 17

 

ABOUT ME

My photography skills have improved over the years. It has been five years since I started photography. My love for photography started in 2018 when I was taking a film class at Inner-City Arts summer camp. I love filming and working with the camera. In 2019, they started to offer photography classes. I decided to take it, since I like taking pictures on my phone, and wanted to learn more about cameras. After those classes, I started to want to learn more about photography. In 2020, when everything was virtual, my assistant principal introduced me to Las Fotos Project. It was hard to learn how to work a camera virtually, but I got through it. I got my very first professional camera in 2021, the best Christmas gift ever. With the support of my family, friends, and Las Fotos, my work has improved so much. I’m glad to be where I am.

Oh My Gatos
This is my cat, Lea.

EXPLORING

I was given this camera and the opportunity to take photos of my family. However, when it came to actually taking pictures of them, the photos would feel so forced and not my style. One day when I saw my cat Lea sitting perfectly in the sun with her soft white fur and warm glistening blue eyes shining, I knew that’d make a perfect picture! No one ever realizes how animals can lower people's guard and bring individuals together. There were many moments when I and my whole family would laugh and be so entertained by cats simply playing with a toy mouse or even a piece of string. I believe our pets create a big impact in one's household and in a person's heart.

Celeste Umaña, age 18

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

When thinking of family, and how I define it, I felt pulled to examine the value that friendships hold. Oftentimes, friendships are overlooked when it comes to thinking of family; being pushed aside to prioritize blood families instead. But there is something to be said about the value of friendships and chosen families. To find one another and create connections that bind you in a way that surpasses genetics. To choose to continuously surround yourself with one another, and be there for each other, are acts that not everyone can apply to their families. It is through my friendships that I’m able to learn and connect to other cultures and expand my horizons, as well as share and take pride in my own culture and experiences. Had I not had each one of my friends when I did, I truly believe I would not be who I am today.

 

Family Over the Years
The image features a collection of images and mementos from the past four years of my life. The photos consist of different friend groups from different points of my life, whom I consider to be family. The UCSB key ring, from my hometown, holds keychains from the places I’ve visited since leaving, along with the jewelry that signifies my shift towards independence as I get ready to move and continue to grow my family of friends.

ABOUT ME

Celeste Umaña is a Latina photographer from South L.A. She began with Las Fotos Project in 2016 and has developed a photojournalistic, documentary style of storytelling photography. Her photography often tells stories through portraits and candids, using light and colors to allow emotions to shine through. Celeste has developed a unique eye that displays her creativity and attention to detail in the photographs she captures in different environments. Through her experiences and friendships, Celeste has noticed the lack of representation of certain groups behind and in front of the camera. She hopes to take photography into her adult life and shoot long-form storytelling of different influential figures.

Delilah Mendez, Age 14

 

ABOUT ME

Delilah Mendez, a 14-year-old Mexican-American born and raised in Los Angeles County, uses her constantly changing environment to capture small moments that one could easily overlook. She enjoys music, having time to herself and Gatito, teaching others her passions, and spending time with friends and family. With a love for helping others, she hopes to travel and teach other people who didn’t get the same academic opportunity as her while documenting her progress and work adventures through photography. Delilah receives most of her inspiration through her mother’s work in photography, along with the city of Los Angeles itself. She feels that the city is one big photograph waiting to be deciphered.

 

Listening to the Pictures
Your individual life could be written out in a journal, but the people you trust your journal with are your family. In my photo, you see part of my family, my grandpa Polo. This photo captured my grandpa re-listening to an audio recording of him and I discussing his past memories, while he let me skim through pages of his journal. When peering into his private life, it connected us to a moment that will last forever in this photograph.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Family, to me, is people you trust. If you put your life in a journal, who would you trust to hold that journal? Who would you trust to leave the journal unopened, opening it only with your permission? Within my project, I’ve discovered my journal is long, and those whom I would trust with my journal are the people I surround myself with in my day-to-day life. My family is something I’m still uncovering. With my project, I’ve discussed the past with my family. I uncovered things I wouldn’t have known without this project. I chose the photo of my family member, my Grandpa Polo, as my photo because of the moment it captured. In this moment, I captured my grandpa letting me read his journal, although I only skimmed a few pages. I hope to uncover all of my decades of pasts.

Diana Carballo, Age 17

ABOUT ME

My name is Diana Carballo (she/her), I am a first-generation Salvadorian-American. I was born and raised in Echo Park. I remember growing up, I spent a lot of my time creating art both at home and in my community. Art has always been a part of our family; from my mom introducing me to reggaeton and bachata to my grandma showing me her old pictures and singing while making our favorite Salvadorian dish. I've been documenting every facet of our life since I was young, and it has led me to believe that everything big or small in this life is beautiful. Through my creative pursuits, I hope to shed light on the beauty of everyday life.

Un pedacito de mi corazón
My grandma has always been a special individual in my life. Growing up, she spent every waking moment with me. She has always been my second mother, helping to raise me while my mom was working. She never really talked about her life in El Salvador and up until this day I know little to nothing about her life before coming to the U.S. As I get older I hope I can learn more about her story.

DESDE LOS OJOS DE MI FAMILIA

My project, “Desde los ojos de mi familia,” explores my family’s archives and their history both here in L.A. and in El Salvador. Documenting the little moments has always been important to my family. I wanted to highlight those little moments that we don’t think about as much anymore. This project is really endearing to me because I felt my family’s essence in my images. Some of these images are also very vulnerable because they allowed me to see life from their perspective while photographing from my own. Seeing these two perspectives allowed me to visualize life from before I was born and see how much it has changed since then. My family’s sacrifices have opened new opportunities for me, and I will forever be grateful. I could never thank them enough for everything they’ve done for me.

Emi Rodriguez, age 16

 

SILLY LITTLE MEMORIES

My projects in Digital Promotoras have been influenced by myself. I feel like that might just defeat the point of this class since I have been focusing on myself, but I am who I am because of my family, friends, and the people around me. I wanted to represent that and the qualities that I take from my environment. I made my altar around my love for ponies, pink, and my collections. I placed the Dodgers hat because of my love for baseball that was created by my family that is baseball-obsessed. I placed my first pair of sunglasses on my altar because my grandparents bought them for me. I remember thinking my cousins were so cool wearing sunglasses. For the image I chose, I am always writing affirmations on my mirror because my mom told me to always remind myself that you are your biggest supporter.

 

Alone time
Alone Time and Silly Little Memories represent me in different times. The image Alone Time is me now. It's my safe place, the desk where I do makeup, think, cry, challenge myself, and prove myself wrong when I am doing homework and believe it’s too challenging. Silly Little Memories is my past self. A dedication to my childish likes such as ponies, the color pink, my first sunglasses, and past birthday cards.

ABOUT ME

Emi Rodriguez is a 16-year-old creative. An ambitious, chaotic, perfectionist also known as a Pisces. A California girl, who loves the sun and smiling. She’s inspired by feelings, vibes, lights, actions, and people. She wants to capture raw emotions, time, and reality. As she continues to grow as an artist she wants to inspire her community, and she wants to continue to be inspired by her community. She comes from a family of 8, who are goofy, kind, and hardworking. She is one of 13 dimples.

Eztli De Jesus, Age 17

NUESTRAS HISTORIAS

This semester, I wanted my project to be dedicated to everyone in my family. Reflecting on my family archives made me realize how little I know about my family in Mexico. I’ve never met most of my family in Mexico because I’ve never traveled there. I wish I could have the opportunity to hug them and visit the land that served as my family’s home for so long. I took this project as an opportunity to dive deeper into my family’s immigration journey to appreciate and understand the struggles and emotions my parents experienced traveling through the border. Through the process of this project, I felt as if I was building a closer bond with my family. I got to take the time to sit down and listen to them share their stories. I got to photograph them in a different light and create images that will be part of our family archives in the future.

Through the Generations
For this photograph, I wanted to highlight the relationship between my grandmother, mother, and myself. They’ve helped me become the person I am today and I decided to collage together these close-up shots of our eyes. They are two of the biggest influences in my life that I look up to the most. Throughout this project, I was able to learn a lot about my family's stories and struggles and by the end of my project, I felt closer to them.

ABOUT ME

I’m Eztli De Jesus, a 17-year-old Mexican-American artist in the making from East L.A. Photography is one of my favorite creative outlets that’s allowed me to express myself. I strive to highlight my community and loved ones in my work. I enjoy shooting all kinds of photos, but portraits are my favorite. Portraiture allows me to highlight others' personalities and emotions. I think there is something so beautiful about capturing people whether it be through candid imagery or staged. I believe our bodies are able to tell stories in different ways whether it be an image of eyes or hands, those small details are all a part of someone's story and being. Aside from photography, I am passionate about all kinds of art forms, journalism, reading, and iced matcha lattes!

Faviola Cruz, Age 16

ABOUT ME

​​My name is Faviola Cruz and I am a 15-year-old artist born and raised in Boyle Heights. My pronouns are she/her. I’m a current sophomore at Theodore Roosevelt High School. Some of my likes and hobbies include soccer, listening to music, boba, making jewelry/bracelets/accessories, photography, and editing.
Photography is currently my main focus and I’ve recently had some exciting opportunities including photographing my school’s Centennial Celebration and Classic Roosevelt vs. Garfield football game, a traditionally competitive game with our rival school that took place at the Colosseum last year and included a halftime show with The Black Eyed Peas. These hands-on experiences have been the biggest reasons why I am pursuing this journey in photography.
This spring has been my first semester as part of Las Fotos Project and It has helped me quite a lot in the skills I need to strengthen and reinforce my photography, giving me resources and opportunities which I can attend to explore, experiment, and play around with what I can do with a camera.

La fotografa detrás de la camara
This photo really captures a documentation of me as an artist, a documenter of the things and people in moments in my life, to the point that I include myself in that documentation. In doing so, I don't forget who is behind the camera and I remember the artist that I am.

LA FOTOGRAFA DETRÁS DE LA CAMARA

Georgina Valencia,
age 17

 

A HAVEN OF HOPE

Throughout this semester, the main focus of my photos was my friends at my youth group, Oasis of Hollywood. I chose to take mainly candid shots to capture and preserve the memories of my last year with these friends before leaving for college. My photos show the love and liveliness found in our time spent together. Photographing us as a group doing things together and as individuals allowed me to put on display our connections and individual personalities. I was able to create an archive for Oasis and for myself by taking photos of those I care for the most and capturing the essence of our youth.

The Three Amigos
The main focus of my project was my friends at my youth group, Oasis of Hollywood. I chose to take mainly candid shots to preserve the memories of my last year with them before leaving for college. I was able to create an archive for Oasis and for myself by taking photos of those I care for the most and capturing the essence of our youth. In this photo, my friends Jesus, Ruben, and Ethan glow under the sun.

ABOUT ME

My name is Georgina Valencia and I’m currently a senior at Marshall High School. I've been interested in expressing myself creatively since I was very young but got discouraged much of the time and lacked motivation. I did, however, find comfort in journaling and later discovered an interest in photography which is one of my favorite hobbies. I pursued both of these interests by taking journalism in school, writing for the Los Angeles Times HS Insider, and photographing my youth group at Oasis of Hollywood. My favorite pictures to take are those of landscapes and scenery, but recently I’ve also been exploring portraiture and have found that my favorite shots are often candid photos of my friends. After I graduate, I plan to study English to pursue a career in education. Most of my interests revolve around self-expression as they serve as a way to relieve stress as well.

Josefina Chavez,
Age 16

ABOUT ME

My name is Josefina Chavez (she/her) 16, born In Long Beach, CA, and raised in Echo Park. I believe that others would describe me as quiet, shy, and observant. Those I'm closer to would tell you that I am nostalgic, expressive, and emotional and I've learned that those are not my flaws. When thinking of the values I have adopted, one of my biggest values is my family. I hold my loved ones on a pedestal. I realize now that the facial features of my past and current family members make up the person's face I see every morning when I look in the mirror. My family is my example, my guidance, and my reason to strive forward as they didn’t come here for my generation to have less. The past and present are two things that intertwine in my current work and I think that it is beautiful to bring them together. Photography allows me to share so much of who I am without having to say much at all, and that’s what I love about it.

Imagen dedicado a mi padre
Growing up, love was expressed through actions rather than words, for expressiveness is what the generation before my parents lacked. One demonstration of love that I was shown by my father was my photos resting safely in his wallet. We can see that the wallet has aged. Aged the same way my father's hair turned white as his only daughter grew up overnight. I love you, Dad. Thank you for saying those words out loud to me now more than ever.

IMAGEN DEDICADO A MI PADRE

As titled, “Imagen dedicado a mi padre,” this project is dedicated to my dad. There are two main pieces in this image, my father’s wallet and the cover for the 1972 album Malo. When I was in 8th grade, my favorite song was Suavecito by Malo. When my dad was in the 8th grade, this was also his favorite song as it came out that same year. Unironically, this song will probably continue to be my favorite for the rest of my life. We can see that the wallet has aged. Aged the same way my father's hair turned white as his only daughter grew up overnight. We all grow older together. All objects/images were either passed down to me or are a part of my personal archive with the intention to intertwine the past, present, and future, allowing room for interpretation.

Karen Perez, age 18

 

I AM THE LIGHT

With this project, I was able to learn more about the history of my family, culture, and myself. By having to look at my family’s documentation of all the events and people who came before me, I could see what happened that brought me here to make this project. I can see now that memory and preservation mean a lot to me. It feels important to never forget my identity and the hundreds of family members that share similar names, looks, and personality traits.
Until this project, I had never seen so many of the images even though I live right next door to my grandma. Looking through the images I had passed over all of these years made me realize that many of my family members are not talkative about their past or the significant events that happened. In many ways, photos can actually speak for themselves.

I Am The Light
I really love maximalism. I wanted to add textures and patterns because it just brings all these memories together through the different materials and shapes. I liked cutting around their forms because I wanted to create something different. I was kind of worried that it would be too much, but now that I’m finished, it actually gives the person looking at it an opportunity to be more focused on the details and individuals in the images. It gives everyone a new, connected life.

ABOUT ME

My name is Karen Perez and I’m a filmmaker, journalist, and photographer born and raised in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. I’m excited to study film and television production at California State University, Northridge this upcoming fall. My hobbies and passions revolve around the umbrella of storytelling. When it comes to photography specifically, I'm interested in documentary and candid snapshots of life. Guadalupe Rosales and Reynaldo Rivera are some of my inspirations because they capture what life is. In 100 years I want people to see the photos I take and be able to get a glimpse of how life was for me specifically. I enjoy the simplicity of candid snapshots of life, like Patti Smith’s images in her memoir “Just Kids.” The images tell a story without having to be big productions. They feel real. It’s inspiring to think that my life can feel real through my own storytelling.

Kimberly Mayte Martinez, Age 16

MY MOTHER’S DAUGHTER, A FINAL PIECE

A glimpse into my final piece, “My Mother’s Daughter,” a project I’ve been working on for a little less than a year. I started this a couple of months into my photography journey and worked on showing and comprehending the stages of grief; the trauma that was shared that wasn’t able to be shown, the generational trauma that we’re learning to break. As I'm growing up, I'm starting to grasp a relationship with my mother that wasn’t able to be formed at a young age and feel a bond that wasn't able to be created. I photographed my mom in my quince dress, a Hispanic tradition that she wasn’t able to have, growing up in a lower income range but that she worked hard for me to have. It shows and reflects how similar we are. I am her but she is not me.

My Mothers Daughter
I see my mom as a woman I love, someone who did what she could to continue on with her life. She supports me and my dreams. She is my hero. Being able to photograph her in the dress she was never able to have but that I was fortunate to experience was a bonding memory that we shared during the photoshoot for this final project.

ABOUT ME

The person who I am has been the same person as before, for the past 16 years. I’m a girl who loves flowers, especially tulips, a mother’s daughter, a sister, someone’s past lover. I'm a girl, a girl who is her father’s daughter. A girl who wants to know anything and everything. An explorer who wants to know every inch of the world, the trees and the sky where the world is what you make it. A girl who wants to know the difference between love and lust. Living in Los Angeles with my love belonging to a small city in Oaxaca, Mexico. A girl who’s not stronger than most, but strong enough for herself. A stranger to some but a past to someone else. A girl named Kimberly Martinez.
Born on July 27th, 2006 coming from a background of not knowing anything. Just a teenage girl who loves photography, using it to find patience, love, and calmness. Finding love in photography as a lover of animals, a lover of poetry, a lover of music. A girl who wants to know what love is, what the world is. I am Kimberly. Kimberly Martinez.

Lola Garcia, Age 14

ABOUT ME

Photography is currently my main focus and I’ve recently had some exciting opportunities including photographing my school’s Centennial Celebration and Classic Roosevelt vs Garfield Football game, a traditionally competitive game with our rival school that took place at the Colosseum last year and included a halftime show with The Black Eyed Peas. These hands-on experiences have been the biggest reasons why I am pursuing this journey in photography.

Delilah
When you first take a look at this picture you will be amazed by how many colors are in a cat's eye. My cat was looking outside where my two other cats were playing. I won’t lie, it was difficult to get her to sit still for this picture but it was all worth it.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Our cats complete my family. I chose cats for my project because I am definitely a cat person and I love their eyes, particularly the way they catch the light and dark. I especially love when cats have light-colored eyes and dark fur. My favorite thing about taking pictures of cats is making the eyes stand out and making it the first thing that the audience will look at because of all the details the camera catches.

Melania Espinal, age 17

HOMEOSTASIS

Archives immortalize. We live in a time where everything feels like it's fleeting—faster than ever. As college looms in my near future, everything is truly fleeting. My family has never been known for their extensive photo collection. A photo was often a privilege. A camera was often an outsider.

To immortalize my childhood home, the people that nurtured it, and the beings that occupy it, I find that our archives need to start now. In the name of preservation, my project revolves around recording a fleeting home, neighborhood, and personhood. Sometimes premature mourning is needed to maintain movement: a social homeostasis.

 
 

Chepe
My family has never been known for their extensive photo collection. A photo was often a privilege. A camera was often an outsider. To immortalize my childhood home, the people that nurtured it, and the beings that occupy it, I find that our archives need to start now. In the name of preservation, my project revolves around recording a fleeting home, neighborhood, and personhood. Sometimes premature mourning is needed to maintain movement: a social homeostasis.

ABOUT ME

Melania Espinal lives in North East Los Angeles. Being hyper-curious, ambitious, and quite idealistic, they usually daydream about their future and new creative projects. Inspired by materialism, structure-making, and their favorite writers such as Clarice Lispector, they render work that is deeply personal as it is universal. Entranced by context and narratives, they explore spaces, unfamiliar and familiar— physical and impractical. Art-making, for them, is a form of praxis— an intimate example of mutual aid, and a glimpse into the act of simply being in a power-touting world. They capture this in a myriad of ways, from writing and drawing to photography. They know that the revolution is impossible without art.

Riley Sotomayor, Age 18

ABOUT ME

Riley Sotomayor is a photography student at Grand Arts High School in Downtown Los Angeles. Riley tries to capture what we can’t admire due to the lack of time. She believes that people see what they want to see rather than what is truly there. She finds creativity within her neighborhood and the many people who surround her in everyday life. Riley’s biggest influences are Tyler Shields and Damon Baker, two very different photographers that make very beautiful art. These photographers inspire her and make her never want to give up on photography. Riley hopes to continue to capture beauty that people don't seem to recognize in the moment. She believes that humans often miss the most important moments in life without even realizing it, but she wants her work to capture this for people so they don't regret it. Small or big, this is Riley's dream.

Beyond the Ashes
Opening old boxes, seeing old photos. It was so surreal. I always heard about the fire and thought it was like the movies, but it’s really different to see people you love lose so much. My dad always talked about it as the most difficult thing he ever went through, which is hard because he went through a lot growing up. The images put a perspective on things you wouldn’t normally need perspective on and connect the story without having to see more.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Life is full of memories. We often see the past, present, and future so differently throughout time. We grow from all of our experiences. Growing up, when everything got quiet, I would find myself talking to my dad about my house and the old fire that happened. I always associated the fire with my dad and how it impacted him.
For this project, I dug through some old photo boxes and pulled the images from the fire out to see them for the first time. It was so surreal. I always heard about the fire and thought it was like the movies, but it’s really different to see people you love lose so much. My dad always talked about it as the most difficult thing he ever went through, which is hard because he went through a lot growing up. The images put a perspective on things you wouldn’t normally need perspective on and connect the story without having to say more.

Sandra Luis Grijalva, Age 16

ABOUT ME

My name is Sandra Luis Grijalva. I am 16 years old and a sophomore at Warren High School in Downey, CA. I am the youngest of three kids. I have one sister and one brother. This semester, my project is based around family archives but it is mainly focused on the relationship that I have with my sister, Estela. My sister was my inspiration for this project and I built this project around the relationship we have. Since starting high school and taking classes with Las Fotos, I have been able to explore the different sides of my identity.

Reflections of Each Other
This project is about being seen. My sister Estela is someone that can see right through me. Even though she is 10 years older than me, parts of us are reflected in one another. Her influence over me is indescribable; she's a huge part of who I am.

ESTELA

This semester my project was based on the relationship that I have with my older sister, Estela. Estela was the inspiration for this project because not only is she my sister, but she's my friend and like a mother to me. I’ve struggled a lot with different things over the years but she was the one that was always there for me. I can’t really express myself especially when it comes to my feelings, so I felt that the only way I can truly let my sister know what she means to me is through this project. I want my sister to know the impact she has on me. My sister is a source of light in my life. I love her more than anything in this world. This project is a reflection of that.

Sawyer Sariñana,
age 16

PRIZES

This project uses the amalgamation of household objects to visualize the power held in shared memories and generational knowledge.

 
 

Altar
My family and our mass of doors.

ABOUT ME

Sawyer Sariñana is a 16-year-old artist from Echo Park. Inspired by her immediate community, the Dada movement, and the nuances of routine, Sawyer attempts to bridge the abstract of fine art to the intention of commercial work. Her work ranges from conceptual to documentary in its approach, and she is currently focused on using photography as a means to explore the physical world around her. After shooting a season with the Angel City soccer team and completing a variety of self-produced shoots, she hopes to venture more into the world of editorial and conceptual photography.

Sofia Gurrola, Age 17

 

ABOUT ME

Sofia Gurrola calls South Central, Los Angeles home. As a 17-year-old senior graduating from Downtown Magnets High School, she is beginning to look back on all the experiences that have made her who she is today. Sofia celebrates community and family through the medium of photography. She finds gratitude in the everyday experiences of life.

 

Abuelita's Kitchen
Recognizable to all of her family, Sofia captures her abuelita’s kitchen in a quiet moment where the table is not filled with plates of food and the chairs are empty. Every aunt, uncle, and cousin has grown up in this kitchen in one way or another.

ABUELITA’S KITCHEN

Abuelita’s house is where so many core memories in Sofia’s life have happened that it is almost impossible to not archive such an integral part of her upbringing. This attachment is not only felt by Sofia, but also by her parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. This very kitchen is where so many birthdays, holidays, and family dinners have taken place. Every cousin feels at peace when Abuelita serves frijoles con queso after school. Every aunt and uncle remembers growing up in that kitchen when they still lived with Abuelita. It is where Sofia learned to speak Spanish, has eaten some of her favorite meals, and feels a sense of tranquility.

Solana Fe Cordon,
age 17

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

I am a descendant of those who risked their lives, crossing borders and surviving the mass genocide of innocent Guatemalans. Being raised in a bicultural household, I have always struggled with feeling a sense of belonging to either part of who I am. Even so, I have felt my identity pulling further away like the trees of our family’s roots stretch across the world and shed their leaves as time passes. I sense fractions of my cultural identity straying away as my heritage awareness diminishes. However, the purpose of my project is to illustrate the journey I have been on, finding a way to understand and take pride in who I am and where I come from. Through a camera lens, I was able to capture the essence of my culture, heritage, and what familia means to me. Familia means loving, supporting, and accepting each other without borders, unconditionally and fiercely.

 

Chickens to the Slaughter
In the small truck stop town of El Rancho, Guatemala resides the hidden lives and distant relationships of Familia de Cordon. Maria del Carmen, or Tía Mari as I call her, welcomed me, her niece, but also somewhat of a stranger, with open arms. Standing proudly, watching us gather around the long table, she ran around serving everyone fresh chicken soup that she helped prepare, waking up before the sun to share one final meal with her family.

ABOUT ME

Solana Cordon’s roots stretch from the highlands of Guatemala to the vast fields of corn that make up everyday life in Primrose, Iowa. Graduating this year from South Pasadena High School, Solana, 17, is an ambitious individual who draws inspiration from the ever-changing world around her, using her seemingly chaotic energy as a catalyst to bring to life her aspirations as a storyteller and filmmaker. Taking immense pride in her heritage, Solana challenges perspectives and wants to evoke feelings in her creative work, but also illuminate the variations that are intertwined within one’s own experiences. Through fashion, writing, and photography, Solana aims to emphasize what it means to be bicultural and empower the different backgrounds from which she comes. A relentless optimist, Solana strives to bring her positive energy with her and continue to pursue a path that she is passionate about.

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