Esta Soy Yo: Flourish

Alé Rivas, Age 16

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Discomfort with the unknown is normal. My unknown are the acts of femininity. To my mother, femininity is a tool that she has long ago perfected. For me, it remains a foreign art form I cannot yet execute. A destiny I haven't yet accepted. My journey to acceptance mimics nature itself; a cycle of maturity. Feminity is the alluring aura that seeds ocean waves, blossoming flowers, and the passage of clouds. It is the energy that paints our entire existence.

ABOUT ME

Alé Rivas is a 16-year-old artist from the Inland Empire, based in Ontario. They have always been in touch with their creative side; exploring crafting, painting, and photography. Their use of photography allows them to showcase their view of the world around them. Alé is able to capture experiences and emotions that are formed by their own community. Having experienced a strong sense of alienation throughout their life, Alé Rivas is a firm believer of advocating for those who feel as if they do not belong. Incorporating elements of nature in their work, Alé wishes to help people realize that there is beauty and love within oneself.

Amanda Arellano, Age 18

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Nature plays the important role of positively impacting my mental health. It is healing and relaxing. It has had a positive influence, making me who I am now. The part that I play in nature is being a living species surrounded by it, and being a species that grows and changes when around nature. The natural elements captured in my photography are trees, plants, and local wildlife at the East Los Angeles Library.

ABOUT ME

Amanda Arellano is an 18-year-old Latinx student photographer (she/they/them) who was born on September 14, 2004, in the Monterey Park area. Amanda currently lives in Boyle Heights and they are a resilient, creative, and empowering activist with special needs dedicated to defending different rights. Their mom, Maria Arellano, is a big inspiration to them. Arellano’s life changed upon receiving their first computer at a Verizon-sponsored coding class at Cal State LA. Additionally, receiving an iPad from a YouTube club motivated them to start filming their own videos. Upon starting a women’s empowerment/rights film class from Girl’s Voices Now, they created and eventually presented, “The World Through Our Eyes,” a film exploring the standards of society while obscuring each alumni’s identity. Arellano aims to study Computer Programming/Computer Science in college this fall after taking a gap year.

Anahi Garay, Age 14

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Nature has been a way that helps me relax when I could sit outside and admire what I have and what is around me. It is also a medium that can allow me to express myself in different ways that I usually would not think about. Growing up, plants would always be part of my life as there were many fruit trees and bushes in my front yard. Natural elements that I capture to represent these forms are plants mixed with buildings. I like to photograph in warmer settings but other colors also bring out different elements.

ABOUT ME

Anahi Garay (she/her) is a 14-year-old Mexican-American photographer born and based in Los Angeles. She attends John Adams middle school. She is a student learning about the world and developing a relationship with nature as someone that wants to be surrounded by it. She takes inspiration from shows like “Lost In Space.” Garay's photography reflects the beginning spring of her life.

Anahi Munoz, Age 18

ABOUT ME

My name is Anahi Munoz (she/her) and I am 18 years old. I am a proud Hispanic and grew up in East L.A. my entire childhood. Despite the challenges faced, I was always grateful for everything my family was able to provide for me. As a senior in high school, discovering a passion towards photography has helped me bring out my mind's stories into the vision of the work I am photographing. Ultimately, having the opportunity to be in Las Fotos Project has helped me open up with my creativity as well as gain more confidence within myself and the experience of being able to share work with significant meaning behind it.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

As I slowly grow up, I start to realize more difficulties within myself. Being able to fully love myself has always been hard for me. Despite the many things I do, self-doubt was always behind me. Throughout this project, I was able to capture myself in different elements of nature. Confidence was always something I lacked and being able to let go of my thoughts on how I look inspired me to finally see myself and how much at peace I am in nature. The presence of nature has finally been able to give me the type of love I was looking for from the validation of others and gain the sense of happiness I deserve and desire.

Angel Mia Torres, Age 15

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

My project captures landscapes and the life within that's filled with possibilities and change. In these images, I am reminded of the individual I am becoming, in a vast world full of chance. With sights I am filled with daily, I reflect on the people I’ve met and the experiences that have changed me. In some of these images, solitude is the embrace of life, a reminder that even in our hardest moments of struggle and self-loss, the comfort of others helps us find our place in our world.

ABOUT ME

My name is Angel Mia Torres, I use she/her pronouns. I live in Moorpark, CA and I am a Mexican-Puerto Rican American. I love exploring different mediums of art, listening to music, and taking care of my plants. In my photos, I strive to capture the little moments of life and the things we don’t often look at or notice. I’m involved with my community through acts of service like volunteering with my local pantry and church. In the future, I want to be an artist who uses art as a form of activism. With my art, I’ve become more comfortable with myself and I hope to share the comfort with others.

Arturita, Age 17

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Dealing with grief, death, and always feeling stuck.

Atzin Soberanez-Peña, Age 15

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Nature is all around me. I grew up embracing nature as if it were an extension of my body, which in a sense, it is. My grandpa had a garden in his backyard in Alhambra, where my brother and I spent most of our time when we were little. My favorite thing to do back then was plant seeds in the dirt and make mud pies. We were very messy, as I still am today. Being outside is what grounds me—nature grounds me. I try to include water and the warmth of the sun in my photography. I have always been connected to water the most. It is the greatest source of nostalgia that I hold dear to my heart. It is a reminder of my childhood, of sunny Saturdays spent at the beach. Nature is found in everyone, nature is me.

ABOUT ME

Atzin Soberanez-Peña (she/her) is a 15-year-old Mexican Indigenous artist from Los Angeles, CA and is based in El Monte, CA. She attends Arroyo High School. She identifies as a lover of cultural arts such as film, photography, music, poetry, literature, and spirituality. Her relationship with nature is very deep. She has been connected with nature since she was very little, loves the ocean, and uses it as a way to ground herself. She takes inspiration from music and films, from Jeff Buckley to Paul McCartney, and from movies such as “Paris, Texas” to “Amelie.“ She likes to create stories from songs and mimic the styles of her favorite movies in the photos she takes. Peña’s photography reflects the season of summer—you will find hints of water or the warmth of the sun featured in some way in her work.

Brisa Munoz, Age 19

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Being in this stage of my life, I am conflicted with myself, the thoughts in my head. Where do I start? What’s stopping me? It's blurry. But at the end of the day, the sun still rises. I feel its warmth as I write. The energy from mother nature awakens me. Whether it be the sun, the wind gently brushing my skin, or the water that refreshes me by its touch, we’re united. I think I’ll start from here.

ABOUT ME

Brisa Munoz is a college freshman at UCLA. Born to Mexican immigrant parents, she aspires to gain financial freedom at a young age and give back to her parents after all their sacrifices. As she grew, she developed artistic interests such as film and photography. Brisa finds photography as a way to express herself, a way for her emotions to be seen through a creative outlet, offering new perspectives. She hopes to achieve her own career as an entrepreneur, photographer, and/or film director/producer. Brisa is starting to explore her ways with photography and will use Instagram as a medium. [@brixviii.m]

Danna Priscilla Poz Gonzalez, Age 18

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The love I have for flowers is the same as the love I have for my photography. I want my images to capture the idea that being alone can be okay because you’re blooming like a flower. We know flowers grow every day, week, month, and year similar to how we grow love for ourselves. We should always reflect the love for ourselves even through hardships. Flowers represent peace and hope, and photography means happiness and adventure. When people see my photography, I want them to feel peace and imagine the adventure the picture went through.

ABOUT ME

My name is Danna Poz Priscilla Gonzalez (she/her). I grew up in North Hollywood and later moved to East Los Ángeles. I am currently attending Garfield High School and will graduate in June 2023. I’m a very outgoing person and always love making others feel welcomed and comfortable. I love making new friends and growing with them as we continue this program. I love learning about new things and becoming a better version of myself. I would like to dedicate this exhibition to my sister because she is an important part of my life and has been my inspiration, and I want to follow in her footsteps. I hope to make my parents proud when I go to college and eventually work in my dream career of occupational therapy.

Diana Martinez, Age 17

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

My relationship with nature is spiritual and valued. Throughout my life, I've learned to appreciate nature—It's inevitable not to. Walking the streets of Los Angeles, nature is something you come across often. People might think that because it's a city, nature is non-existent, but nature is everywhere and we are nature. Natural elements appear in the city in subtle ways like the trees planted on the sidewalk and the fruit stands in your neighborhood. My photos highlight the subtle ways that nature is incorporated into our lives. La naturaleza es la vida.

ABOUT ME

Diana Martinez (she/her) is a 17-year-old Chicana photographer/artist, born and raised in East Hollywood, CA, and attends John Marshall High School. She is an up-and-coming photographer whose relationship with nature would be described as spiritual and valuable. She takes inspiration through her personal past and present experiences in life. Martinez’s photography reflects the constant flow of her thoughts.

DianNa Machado, Age 15

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Nature feels like a silent muse. A place to make a story. Being in nature inspires my imagination and world-building. It’s a deep space for me to wander and admire. I feel like a visitor or observer in nature. I’m here to go with the flow, where it is the only place to put all worries aside to make room for relaxation. My work features close and tight views of plants and flowers. When my lens isn’t focused on small details or lighting, my other photos are opportunistic or based on my direct experience in nature.

ABOUT ME

Dianna Machado, b. 2007 (she/her) is a Chicana photographer/artist born and based in Los Angeles and attends Woodrow Wilson High School. She is a studious artist who is determined to pursue a passionate job in the digital arts field. Her relationship with nature is distant yet spiritually close. She often wanders in her imagination and finds influence in the structure and colors of nature for her next art piece or sketch. Machado’s photography is most focused and inspired by simple details and other unnoticed traits. Her photography reflects the blossoming, warm feeling of spring in her life.

Emma Gonzalez, Age 16

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

I grew up in Los Angeles, an urban city that is surrounded by nature. In my childhood, I can remember places like Griffith Park, Echo Park, and Kenneth Hahn Park. My parents made sure to give me a childhood that was worth remembering. As I am now going to move, I want to capture all that Los Angeles has had to offer me, through the help of my parents. This project shows the growing connection between urban areas and nature combined into one as I grow up and continue to figure out who I am.

ABOUT ME

Emma Gonzalez is a 16-year-old Mexican-American photographer born in Los Angeles and raised in South LA. She attends Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies on Fairfax and 18th Street. Gonzalez adores being indoors and reading books of any genre but despite this, she has been able to appreciate nature more this semester. She takes her inspiration from being around people who can appreciate her presence and her family. Gonzalez reflects on the transition from winter to spring in her life.

Gabriel Machado, Age 17

ABOUT ME

Gabriel Machado (he/him) is a Hispanic photographer/graphic designer born and based in Downey, CA. He attends Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet. He identifies as an avid student who always strives for the best for himself. Machado has a strong sense of self and describes himself as a strong young man that evokes emotion into his work. He takes inspiration from crime scenes and the intricacies in music. Machado’s work represents the transition into adulthood.

Jade Johely Carrera, Age 18

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The ocean speaks to me.
The soul of the ocean, the tides of growth and resilience, the water sinking into the roots of all living phenomena. We are provided with gifts from Mother Nature, accepting the waves that move peacefully in power and freedom. The ocean welcomes new and native beings. Golden sand can tell stories that will last a long time, keeping the traditions alive. As the sun kisses my skin, I am recharged.
A million voices clash onto the shore, they speak to me…

ABOUT ME

Jade Carrera (she/her) is an 18-year-old photographer based in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. She identifies as an upcoming Chicana photojournalist. Her relationship with different environments are just as open as the winds that run through the streets. She takes inspiration from the many people who live in her community. Carrera’s photography reflects the flow and motion that people face in life, mainly their resilience. In this project, she focuses on her true natural inspiration, the ocean. To Carrera, the ocean represents freedom, strength, and passion, all of which a human is capable of feeling.

Kimberly “Ber” Murillo, Age 18

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

When I was younger, I threw a bottle into the ocean with a note asking the universe to give me a friend. Expecting nothing much from the universe, I was pleasantly surprised, when seven years ago the universe gave me the best friend I could ever ask for. I felt like I had finally found the treasure I was looking for. In this photo book, I wanted to express my endless love and admiration for my friend Catarina. To do so, I shot the images by placing red tights over my camera lens to tint the images with red. Red is symbolic of friendship, so tinting the images would allow the viewer to view my dear friend in the same manner that I view her.

ABOUT ME

My name is Kimberly Murillo. I am 18 years old. I am a senior at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School. I was born in Monterey Park, but I have lived in Huntington Park all my life. I am of Mexican descent, so my culture has a big influence on my work. In my photographs, I like to pay homage to my culture by including subtle cultural elements. My grandmother has been a huge inspiration to me. Since I was little, I have seen my grandma create, which inspired me to create art of my own. I have always had an interest in photography, which heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over quarantine, I began taking self-portraits to document my changes throughout the pandemic. Self-portraiture is a style of photography I have continued to explore at Las Fotos Project. I am grateful I am able to further pursue my interest in photography through LFP.

Leslie Rosales, Age 17

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Growing up, I often heard my parents compare the beauty of the small towns in which they grew up to their new home here in California, usually with a tone of dissatisfaction. But it is in these very beaches in California where my Dad and I would dip our toes in the water, and in these very parks where my family would get together in celebration. Everywhere I go, I see the beautiful seed my parents have planted, prosperando.

ABOUT ME

Leslie Rosales is a first-generation Latina living in L.A. She is currently 17 years old and a Junior at Roosevelt High School. Although she has attended school in Boyle Heights her whole life, she was born and raised in South Central, Los Angeles. This is her second semester at Las Fotos Project, where she hopes to expand her skills in photography and explore her interest in advertising and documentary-style photography. Growing up in two underrepresented communities, she has witnessed firsthand the lack of resources and representation of female artists. She hopes to continue pursuing photography and expand the representation for Latina first-gen artists in her neighborhood and in the media.

Marilynn Ramos, Age 13

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In these photographs, I express how important my family is to me. I have captured images of my grandmother, cousin, and myself. I am displaying the photos in black and white because I believe that it brings in more detail in the faces and plants. I would also like to portray the meaning of something in everyday life. From my view, nature and people are exactly the same. Plants start off as seeds and just like us, the plants start to grow into their own details and features as we do when we start to find ourselves and our personalities as we grow.

ABOUT ME

Hello, I’m Marilynn, I was born and raised in Los Angeles and currently live there. I come from a very big, loving family that lives in L.A. and also in Mexico and El Salvador. I love all different kinds of art such as drawing, painting, and music. I am very much an artistic person and like to stay in my comfort zone, but I decided to take up a new form which was photography -- and I really enjoyed it! Some things I would love to be when I grow up would be an artist, musician, and photographer. Las Fotos Project has really inspired me and has made me find a little part of myself that I’m so happy to have found and I hope to continue on this journey of mine and live life and love what makes me, me.

Mia "Semmia" Rovira, Age 14

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

LA SEMMIA represents myself as a thriving artist. Throughout my journey as an artist, I've experienced difficult seasons of burnout that held me back from continuing the cycle of creating art. During these times I lacked inspiration and disconnected from the things that made me Semmia. Eventually, I was reminded of who I was, and I was brought to the path I follow now. My art reflects on the relationship I've created with art/creation. In order for me to create I need to give myself permission to rest and allow myself to step away from the chaos art may lead to. By doing this I create a healthier environment for myself, to grow and continue flourishing along with the seeds I plant.

ABOUT ME

Semmia is an Indigenous creative expressing themself through photography coming from Zapotec and other Indigenous backgrounds. Their passion for photography developed at a young age when they were introduced to different art mediums in their journey as an artist. Being exposed to a new art form felt like learning a new language that led to communication without words. Growing up she was taught the importance of preserving their cultural heritage for future generations. In her journey as an artist, Semmia recognizes that her photography can be used as a tool to plant ideas and let them flourish.