Dancing with Light
As we begin to ascend from darkness into light in this year of the pandemic, the students at NYCSALT have spent the last year exploring the essential element that makes great photography: light. It’s the search for their light that our students have been on since last September. Their quest was to find light that is their own and makes their work unique. And when they found their light, they were expected to dance with it. These dances went from a simple box-step to fully free-form movement. I hope you enjoy dancing with all the varied light in Dancing with Light.
scott thode
Islas
Wong
My name is Alexia Santamaria. I go to Pace High school and I am a senior. Other than photography, I love to paint and play volleyball. I will be going to the Pratt institute next year. My project is about the constant nightmares that I have, which serve as inspiration for my work.
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My name is Arden Sklar, I go to the NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies and I’m in tenth grade. I like to play basketball and go on bike rides. My photo project is made up of abstract photos. Throughout this project I enjoyed making these abstractions because I felt that I was able to see the world around me through a different lens, while still capturing its beauty.
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My name is Ashley Gonzalez, I am currently a senior at New Heights Academy Charter School. After being accepted into Brooklyn College, I have decided to attend. Outside of photography, my interests include films and makeup. My photo project consists of nighttime/athome photographs. Growing up, I was always pretty busy during the day with school, chores, or homework. I rarely had time just for myself, and, as I grew older, I started associating nighttime with my own personal time. With this new schedule, I wanted to capture what I would see at night, regardless of whether or not I was at home. PAGE 8
My name is Benjamin Snazelle and I’m a senior at the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School. I’ll be attending SUNY New Paltz this fall, majoring in graphic design. Besides photography, I love cooking and scuba diving. My photo project is based around minimalism and compact color palettes. PAGE 10
My name is Britany Paez and I am a senior at the High School of Art and Design. I hope to pursue photography and business at The New School Parsons, where I will be attending this fall. My other interests include graphic design and drawing. My photo project aims to explore fashion editorial photography, so that I may expand my skills and perform them in a business capacity. PAGE 12
My name is Camillo Cretara, and I’m an 11th grade student at NY Harbor School. I’m interested in cars, their design and engineering. I like all cars — from super cars, like McLarens and Ferraris, to 90s’ Rust Bucket Civics and Miatas. This project shows off cars kept in pristine condition, as well as nice cars left out in the open. PAGE 16
My name is Christian Martinez, I attend New York Harbor School and I am in 11th grade. One interest I have is living in the moment by exploring. My photo project is about capturing the moment, but also, not worrying about time. In the press of a button, I can showcase a timeless photo. PAGE 18
My name is Clara Caicedo. I am currently a senior at New Heights Academy Charter School. After I graduate, I will be attending The City College of New York. Apart from photography, some interests I have include fashion and outdoor activities. I’ve always loved how, through fashion, we are able to express who we are to the world. Ever since I was little, I had a deep love for fashion and being able to design different pieces and put them together. The idea of being able to bring your outfit to life, by using what we have around us, is something that inspires me. My photo project emphasizes a perspective of fashion through the eye of my lens. I enjoyed this project because I was able to interact with my subjects, as well as capture their stylishness. PAGE 20
My name is Darcie Wu, and I’m an 11th grader at LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts. I like painting, especially with acrylics, and language learning (I’m learning Japanese right now). If I could, I’d choose to reincarnate as a hermit crab or snail in my next life because they each get to spend their lives inside their homes, no matter where they go. My home, or more specifically my room, is a place I never tire of spending time in, and I hoped to highlight the small beauties of it with my photo project. PAGE 22
I am Eliza Fuchs [they/them], a freshman at School of the Future High School. I enjoy musical theater, and I use theatrics as a way to tell a very personal story. My project shows part of my journey exploring my gender identity and figuring out where I am on that spectrum. During the pandemic, I came to the realization that I do not subscribe to the gender binary, but rather that I am nonbinary, and use they/them pronouns. PAGE 24
I’m Emmersen Tormey, currently a senior at NYC Lab High School. I’ll be going to Hunter College this fall. My project this year was centered around my inner dialogue and feelings, with my photographs through this period in my life serving as diary entries. PAGE 28
My name is Frances Sy (she/her), and I am a senior at Stuyvesant High School. I will be attending the University of California, San Diego as a Cognitive Science major in the fall. During my free time, I love to read books from my “Top Books to Read Before I Die” shelf and play the guitar & ukulele. In my photographs, I explore two types of relationships: one with myself and another with the world around me. The images, unlike those that I shot in the past years, are in monochrome — an artistic choice that I hope the viewer can use to strongly connect with the emotions of my images. PAGE 32
My name is Frandy Lopez and I’m a tenth grader at New Heights Academy Charter School. Some interests I have besides photography are collecting things like jewelry and retro video games, and I also love to read and write! I guess if I were to describe my photography project, I would say that it is personal and vulnerable. I say this because it’s pictures of my family in very real moments. These pictures show my family as who they truly are, when they interact with each other, and with the things around them. This was also something completely different for me, as I’ve never taken pictures like this before, but I did find myself thoroughly enjoying it! PAGE 36
My name is Gabriela Islas, I attend Landmark High School and I am a senior. Some interests I have are practicing guitar and painting. My photo project is about using slow shutter speed and attempting to give my images a soft look. I hope to continue this next year in college, when I attend Binghamton University. PAGE 38
My name is Gabriela Schwartz, I’m a junior at the New York Harbor School. Apart from photography, I’m really passionate about climate advocacy and scuba diving. My project is a log of my journey to immerse myself into the stories of others, capturing the beauty in the rawness, incompletion, or imperfection of each individual. PAGE 40
My name is Heidi Perez and I graduated from Esperanza Preparatory Academy. I’m interested to learn how to take better pictures and also to learn more about Lightroom and how to use it. My photos are about traveling to Los Angles with my mom. PAGE 42
My name is Ishabela Lopez, and I attend New Heights Academy Charter School where I’m a sophomore. An interest that I have apart from photography is traveling. Since the lockdown and quarantine began, I found myself looking out my apartment window often, reminiscing about how I used to try to communicate with my neighbor when I was a little kid. PAGE 44
Hello, my name is Jarin Rahman. I am in 12th grade at Beacon High School in NYC. In the fall, I will attend Cornell University. I like to visit art museums and new cafés. My photo project is about the deconstruction and construction of relationships with myself and others. I used objects to alter images instead of using computer software. PAGE 46
My name is Kevin Bautista, and I am a junior in Hillcrest Highschool. It’s important for a person to use their precious time and find their purpose or path in life. NYC Salt helped me to create a small path for myself. It didn’t just teach me the ways of taking a proper picture with a camera, but it taught me how to be more creative, a better decision-maker, and that anyone can start off as a photographer. It’s just up to you to walk the rest of the path. PAGE 50
My name is Kevin Wong, and I’m an 11th grader at the Millennium Brooklyn High School. I love sports and cooking/learning how to cook. My photography project is of self-portraits and shows my emotions throughout this year. PAGE 52
My name is Larriyah Graham and I’m a senior at Hudson High School of Learning Technologies. Other than photography, I like drawing and skincare. I’m really excited to be attending Clark University this fall. Since I was stuck at home for the duration of my time at SALT, I wanted to show the emotions of my time at home. I experienced a lot of feelings, mainly being unmotivated and melancholy. PAGE 54
My name is Lindsay Molina, I attend Quest to Learn High School and I am in tenth grade. One interest I have is playing sports, like volleyball. My photo project is about the different colors around New York City. I wanted to capture colors in places you wouldn’t normally look. PAGE 58
My name is Mbhali Edwards, I attend Brooklyn High School of the Arts, and I am in my senior year. I am a multifaceted visual artist who loves to create vibrant and visually intriguing artwork. In my photography, you get a peek into my artistic process and how I see the world — through colors, textures, and detail. PAGE 60
My name is Mikayle Despaigne, I attend The High School for Environmental Studies and am currently a sophomore. Apart from photography, I play the piano and dance! My photo project is about the sad feelings teenagers experience when moving on from childhood and into adulthood. PAGE 62
Hello, my name is Morgan Yee. I am currently in the 11th grade and attend Special Music School High School. Besides photography, I love to dance and play the cello. In my photography project, I wanted to experiment with various angles of light, to illuminate the darkness and bring out inner beauty. Light, in its infinite forms, can touch upon the smallest surfaces, illustrating the mystical, eerie, and beautiful aspects of life. PAGE 64
My name is Nate Zim and I’m in 12th grade at NYC Lab School. Besides my photography, I enjoy building and making things, along with biking. This fall I will be starting at SUNY Oswego. My photo project is on the things around me, the boring and simple things. PAGE 68
My name is Rebekah Williams and I am a senior at Hudson High School of Learning Technologies. My interests are video games and cooking. I will be attending Temple University for Photography with Entrepreneurship Studies. My photo project is about my growth as a person. I’ve been through a lot that I don’t usually talk about; I just want to share my story with everyone, so I’ve included some poetry as well. PAGE 72
My name is Richard Kaulinsh and I’m a senior at Rachel Carson High School. I love photography, but have found myself really interested in working on, and riding, motorcycles recently.
Photography has also led me to work on other visual arts, most notably graphic design. I’m attending SUNY Maritime next year to learn how to sail. I’m exciting to see the world, in my twenties, on a cargo ship. My photos used to show me atop rooftops and bridges, but recently I have developed a much calmer style. My work this year shows this sharp transition and much more tranquil work. PAGE 74
My name is Rohman Papayev and I go to Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School. I’m currently in the 11th grade, and I love understanding how things work in conjunction with making the world an amazing place. My current photo project shines a light on things which haven’t seen light, like the magic of a facial expression, or an interesting pattern we may not notice while on our everyday routes. PAGE 78
My name is Sebastian Lopez. I go to All Hallows’ High School and I’ll be going to Syracuse University. Some of my interests outside of photography are advertising and public speaking. My photo story is all about happiness. When I entered SALT, it was my first time at trying photography, apart from just taking simple iPhone pictures. As time went on, I fell in love with photography, the colors, and how relaxing it was to just go out and take pictures. PAGE 80
My name is Sophia Leng, I’m a freshman at Hunter College High School. Besides photography, I love creating through other kinds of visual art, including drawing and painting, as well as creating through writing (anything from journalism, to poetry, to debate speechwriting)! I think it is safe to say that this past year of such tremendous loss, in so many ways, has made us all more grateful for what we do have. For me in particular, it has led me to appreciate the little things so much more. This is what I tried to capture in my photographs — the overlooked moments and scenes in our day that help us maintain what little sense of normalcy there is in the world right now. PAGE 82
My name is Xiaolin Fang. I go to Baruch College Campus High School and I will be attending CUNY Baruch this September. I enjoy embroidering and making arts and crafts in my free time. My book is about my psychological journey during quarantine. It started out depressing — I longed to going outside, I had a lot of self-reflection — and now I’m trying to not let my grades suffer from my senioritis. PAGE 84
