ADria Marin, age 18

ABOUT ME

Adria Marin is an experimental photographer based in Los Angeles, California. She first fell in love with photography nearly four years ago when she joined Las Fotos Project. Now a senior in high school, her passion for this medium is blossoming. Though she has captured group and product photos in the past, she is currently focusing on advocacy through portraits and events. Adria is inspired by her culture and the community around her, and she looks forward to exploring her identity as a first-generation, 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.

Aranza Trujillo,

age 17

ABOUT ME

Aranza Trujillo is a 17-year-old first-generation Latina who uses she/her/hers pronouns. Whether it’s taking pictures on a disposable camera, phone, Instax, or digital camera, Aranza loves to capture beautiful moments. She is a devoted, responsible person who is determined to try new things and meet new people. Her biggest inspiration is both of her parents, whom she grew up seeing struggle to find jobs because of their legal status so they have always encouraged Aranza to take advantage of all the opportunities that come her way. Although her parents came here with nothing, they have done their best to provide for their family. One thing Aranza admires about herself is that she is a caring person and she hopes to continue expressing this through the use of photography. She hopes to continue exploring photography, poetry, and different mixed-media pieces. After high school, Aranza hopes to continue her photography practice and build her portfolio as she transitions into college.

Aster Sanchez,

age 18

ARTIST STATEMENT • Aster Sanchez is a non-binary photographer from Los Angeles focusing on documentary-style photography and specializing in portraits. Portraiture has opened Aster’s world to helping express a subject’s identity and story. It has also expanded their work to produce and execute their own photoshoots outside of the classroom. With more experience, they will explore their photojournalistic skills and incorporate even more storytelling into their work and projects.

Ash Romero, age 16

ARTIST STATEMENT • My photos are quiet, contemplative, moody, directorial, voyeuristic, edgy, and bold. I treat my subjects with gentleness and am very mindful of angles, perspective, and place. While other artists scream, my photos whisper. I meditate on and with my subjects, often obscuring them from the light and inviting them into the darkness.

ABOUT ME

My name is Ashley Romero Gomez. I'm 16 years old and currently attend James A. Garfield High School. In the past, I enjoyed participating in Esta Soy Yo and Digital Promotoras classes. This semester was my first CEO class. I've been highly encouraged to grow both individually and as a photographer by the previous classes at Las Fotos Project. I enjoy using photography as a way to see myself as something different and find new ways to see the world through a different lens. During the past semesters, I was able to connect with myself on a deeper emotional level. My inspiration is my sister Maria. She has paved a pathway for me to be who I am because she has taught me to be true to myself. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, and I am always on the lookout for Gothic Literature and horror fiction books.

ABOUT ME

Brooke Kamille is a 19-year-old Afro-Mexicana photographer from Los Feliz in Northeast Los Angeles. She aspires to pursue photography as her career path, combining her need for creative expression with her love of art. She currently works as a Teacher's Assistant and After School Program Leader for an indigenous elementary school in El Sereno, CA. She strives to return to school and begin her experience and education in photography, at the same time hoping to create an enriching and fulfilling career. Though throughout this semester her focus was portraiture and documentary-style work, Kamille is open to everything and anything she can learn from. Kamille is always available and willing to develop and involve herself in as many projects as possible in order to excel in the creative world around her. If interested in working with Brooke Kamille, please email brookekamillefotos@gmail.com or DM on Instagram @brookk4millefotos.

Brooke Kamille,

age 19

ARTIST STATEMENT • I am an Afro-Mexican Angeleno from Northeast Los Angeles. Connecting with my ethnic cultures has not only allowed me to find my identity, but also opened my eyes and connected me with other BIPOC folks. Inspired by my home and my family, I developed a passion for representing the integrated culture in Los Angeles and beyond. Focusing on the beauty within BIPOC communities, my photographs narrate strength, resilience, love, and solidarity.

Cat Rodriguez,

age 18

ABOUT ME

My name is Catherine Rodriguez. I feel like I just turned 18—time flies by. I’m still exploring what I like and what I’m skilled at, but I found that I am fond of mixed media like cyanotype photography. The niches I focused on this semester were editorial and candid. I like taking in-the-moment photos and manipulating them to portray my perspective. I love being involved in the arts, having been playing violin in the LA Philharmonic's Youth Orchestra Los Angeles since 4th grade, Inner-City Arts since 6th, and Las Fotos Project since 10th. I love trying out new art mediums like paint, graphic design, and even dance. I find that expressive ways of articulating our feelings—of fear or love for bodies of water, isolation, and compassion—are just as important to our lives as science and more concrete aspects of being and learning.

CJ Calica,

age 18

ARTIST STATEMENT • CJ (she/her) is an L.A.-based fine art photographer with a passion for visual communication. CJ‘s artwork pays tribute to her emotions and constant growing mind through a variety of media, including studio work and collage. Her style is characterized by balanced compositions and chromatic palettes. CJ wants to collaborate with established brands to expand her editorial and mixed-media photography client base. She seeks opportunities to create unique and stunning art.

Dahlia Kim Levy,

age 17

ABOUT ME

Dahlia Kim Levy (she/they) is a third-generation Korean-American born and raised in LA and is currently a senior at Sequoyah High School. She is pursuing a BFA in photography at Parsons School of Design the next year to continue pushing her creative limits.

ABOUT ME

Haley Sparkle Santibanez is an 18-year-old photographer and illustrator. She was born and raised in East Los Angeles. Growing up, she always documented her life with her grandmother's camera. She loved the idea of showing others the world through her eyes. Joining Las Fotos Project changed her perspective on photography and art, inspiring her to become a creative director one day. Haley enjoys capturing portraits and adding her art and other mediums onto her images. She hopes to create stories through her images that have an impact on people. Her greatest inspiration would be Tyler Okonma and hopes to work with him one day in the future.

Haley Santibanez,

age 18

ARTIST STATEMENT • My imagination influences my photography. Whenever an idea crosses my mind, l try my hardest to execute it to the best of my ability. Most of my images are experimental and I strive to have unique art that stands out. I make images because it is satisfying to see the final product that was once just an idea in my head come to life. I want to continue to make my ideas into reality.

Isa Reyes, age 16

ARTIST STATEMENT • Isabella Reyes is a 16-year-old high school creative who identifies as an Indigenous woman and is passionate about photography. Her niches are portrait and candid photography inspired by her community, the beautiful East Los Angeles. Isabella’s greatest support is her mother, Patty Sara Reyes, who discovered Las Fotos Project in 2019, and as they say “the rest is history!”

“Thank you Mom for always putting me in things and I’m glad I stuck with Las Fotos Project.” - Isabella Reyes

ABOUT ME

My name is Isabella Reyes, and I’m an Indigenous woman. I love to take pictures all the time and when I can, and I love doing arts and crafts and crystals. I also really like learning the history of people of color. My favorite thing to do is talking to friends and family. Some other things that I like to do are go to drum circles and do Danza Azteca. I’m the second oldest in my family, and I have three siblings. I like to skateboard, but I just learned so I barely know how to do tricks. I’m not good at school, but I’m still trying and hope to learn a lot in my last four years.

Karime Cebada,

age 18

ARTIST STATEMENT • I like to project warmth and comfort upon my audience when my art is viewed. For that, I like capturing portraits with different backgrounds or eras that people can connect to. I am inspired by various old vintage designs like class pinup, boudoir, and retro. My goals are always to be innovative, accessible, and enthusiastic. I demonstrate my art through portraiture, capturing family and intimate friendships where there can be so much emotion, happiness, and unity portrayed.

ABOUT ME

Karime Cebada is 18 years old, born in Mexico State and raised in East Los Ángeles, and is currently attending Roosevelt High. She enjoys painting, journalism, and exploring and is also very creative when it comes to poetry. She is drawn to Bruce Weber's works since she loves the iconic models Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington. Karime has always been passionate about old vintage designs and fascinated by anything that has to do with models that dominated the 90s. This sparked her interest in neon and strong feminine colors. She dreams of pursuing classic pinup photography and retro modeling. She wants people to feel empowered and connected with the models' energy when they see her work. She is talented at capturing the essence of family and intimate friendships, when viewing her work people find warmth and comfort. Her goal is to continue the art of legendary classic photographers.

Ketzally Alcala,

age 17

ABOUT ME

Ketzally Alcala is a 17-year-old photographer based in East Los Angeles. Throughout her photography journey, she has been able to experiment with different niches but specializes in portrait, editorial, and lifestyle. As seen in her work, Ketzally incorporates her Indigenous roots and beliefs into each image curated. She feels that it is her mission to shed light on her community and people.

Leah Flores, age 15

ABOUT ME

My name is Leah Flores, I am a 15-year-old Mexican-American queer teen photographer based in Los Angeles. I was born to teen parents in a low-income minority household and spent a lot of my time moving. I enjoy spending most of my free time alone in my room, listening to music, experimenting with my own personal style, and even playing with different makeup looks. I am curious about the world around me and learning more about myself. When I’m older, I hope to continue to be able to express myself through my art and create a portfolio that I am proud of. My goal for the near future is to apply to and attend the California State Summer School for the Arts, and further my education and art skills. I enjoy candid photos and portraiture, but I also have an interest in exploring other areas of photography.

Meadows Stevens,

age 17

ABOUT ME

I discovered photography during quarantine, a moment in time when I grasped for an outlet. While isolation put the whole world on pause, I felt my world collapse with my mother’s sudden passing. At fifteen years old, I gravitated towards my camera to express my mind, emotions, and ideas, empowering myself to take a creative direction in my photography. Photography became more significant in my life while diving into portraiture and editorial more deeply and beginning to take photos of friends and family. As I continue exploring my identity as a half-Latina teenager adjusting to L.A., I plan to make projects that not only benefit me but also my community and the people I surround myself with in order to make a statement. I am finding a balance between my internal world and deepening my connection to the world beyond. I look forward to more possibilities of what is yet to unfold within my imagination and letting my creativity lead the way.

Meyuh Gonzales,

age 18

MJ Joya, age 16

ABOUT ME

MaryJane Joya is a 16-year-old high school student based in South Central, Los Angeles. MaryJane majorly focuses on studio portraiture and is getting into environmental portraiture, but on their own time also loves to take street photography. They have been part of four past exhibitions, one notably about their community. They are heavily inspired by their family and Las Fotos Project mentors. MaryJane greatly appreciates all forms of photography niches, and since starting they have tried product, portraiture, food, and maternity photography. After graduation, they wish to major in photography and run their own photography studio.

Nadezhda Knight,

age 17

ABOUT ME

Nadezhda Knight is a 17-year-old Belarusian girl interested in photography and art. She attends John Marshall Senior High School, where she is graduating high school all too soon. She loves to take portrait-style photos and make something she’s proud of. Whether it is ceramics, a poem, or a collage, her exploration of diverse artistic mediums allows Nadia to express herself. She is inspired by her late father, whose passing influenced her to foster creativity through the arts. She grew up taking photos of her daily life on her iPad or her parents’ phone. The older she got, the fewer photos she took, but since she joined Las Fotos Project in 2021, she has reconnected with her passion for photography and wishes to pursue it as her future career.

Samantha Ramirez,

age 14

ABOUT ME

My name is Samantha Ramirez and I am a 14-year-old immigrant, artist, and athlete, and I have been with Las Fotos Project for three semesters. I was born and raised in Mexico, where I lived for 7 years before my family moved to the U.S. to find a better future. Because we moved around a lot, I was always struggling with my identity. Las Fotos Project gave me an outlet to explore my identity. It introduced me to what art can be and how a single moment captured in time can tell a story. Through my participation in LFP, I created work that I used for my application to Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where I will be starting high school in the fall. LFP taught me how to create from my heart and share that message with the world.

Selene Medina,

age 18

ABOUT ME

Selene Medina (they/she) is an 18-year-old Mexican/American photographer based in Lincoln Heights. They currently attend Cal State LA, majoring in Sociology. They enjoy taking pictures of their community and highlighting details that make it unique. Through photography, she hopes to depict people and places that are often underrepresented. Other art forms, especially music, have always helped them when it comes to inspiration. They hope to connect with others by using photography as a creative outlet.

Uzuri Ray, age 15

ABOUT ME

Uzuri Ray is a Mexican-American 15-year-old based in Boyle Heights. Her biggest inspiration is her mother’s passion for photography. She loves the way water can be portrayed in photographs and has learned more about photographing underwater this semester. She also enjoys having the opportunity to capture special moments and special feelings. She finds it fascinating how pictures can tell stories and always tries to take photos that have some kind of connection within them. She focuses most on portraiture and capturing her subject’s true personalities. Most of her portraits are of her family and community members, as she finds it easier to capture the feelings of people she is close with. Though, with Las Fotos Project, she has found it easier to step out of her comfort zone and photograph new people.

ABOUT ME

I’m Vincent Rosado, an Indigenous 16-year-old musician, artist, and sophomore in high school. I was born in Boyle Heights and I have lived in Los Angeles all my life. I always enjoy taking Las Fotos Project classes because over time, it has helped me immensely in defining and shaping who I am now as a person. I really love my Mexican culture and love to include it in my art. I enjoy and appreciate all kinds of art, and I want to seriously contribute to it by improving my music skills as well as becoming a cinematographer and filmmaker. I love to express my thoughts and feelings through my art and receive feedback from other artists.

Vincent, age 16

ARTIST STATEMENT • My photos capture moments of my life and turn them into memories. I want my audience to feel the images, to feel the experience, to feel alive again. My photos feel like shared memories; behind every photograph, there’s some life.

Wendy Cubillo,

age 19

ARTIST STATEMENT • To illustrate the complexity and distinctiveness in the artists I capture, I prioritize emotion, honesty, and storytelling. I am a live music, event, and studio photographer, often combining the three to highlight self-expression. I collaborate with artists born and raised in Los Angeles and my photography makes their cultural roots come alive. Inspired by fleeting memories, nostalgia, and poetry, I capture raw moments through lighting, color, movement, and attention to small details that collectively make a statement.

Yulissa Gonzalez,

age 17

ARTIST STATEMENT • Yulissa gravitates towards creating art through a digital lens. She creates art that amplifies the voices of Black, Brown, and Indigenous People of Color. Her body of work explores the visual narratives of multiple identities taking up space in their most authentic state. It challenges the viewer to reimagine our world in a lively, colorful, diversified way. She takes influence from the rich Chicano/Latino culture in Los Angeles, where she grew up.