Araville Wizlei Viernes
'Conscious Mystery'
I fell in love with the structure of tall buildings and the city itself. I believe that streets and tall buildings represent our dreams and path. It makes me look up ahead, out and beyond, to the sky where we realize our dreams. Dreams are always far out there and seem out of your reach. Using collage, the black and white image represents the real world we live within. The coloured images represent the dreams we are obsessed with and the red spots lead us to these dreams. They also further obscure our reality. When we get obsessed with the idea of a dream, we can’t see ourselves in the real world. Do we create these obsessions so we don’t have to face brutal truths? Is this what drives us to achieve our dreams? This work was inspired by photographer Odette England. Her artwork felt mysterious to me and I wanted to achieve that feeling in my artwork to share the mysterious reasons we become obsessed with dreams.
Aryan Gautam
Life Keeps Moving Forward
In every individual’s journey, there lies a unique tale. Yet, this narrative unfolds swiftly, too swiftly perhaps, moving past the finer moments, the happy times, the little things that make you smile. We yearn for the perfect path, a journey without obstacles, where burdens need not be shouldered. A journey without a
bumpy road. One where they don’t have to carry a heavy load. And so, we wait. Patiently, persistently, desperately, for the perfect train of life to arrive, one that promises smooth tracks ahead. But time slips through our fingers with each missed opportunity, each hesitation, and each moment we lose. We find ourselves
caught in an eternal cycle of waiting, hoping for a train that may never pull into the station. Until finally, one day we grow old. Our moments shared and our lessons told. Our story reaches its end, no matter how long we wait, or how long we spend.
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Life keeps moving forward
Cameron Brooks
Contrast.
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Captured in a local park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Contrast strongly emphasizes the past and present story of the city I call home. Once a rainforest filled with magnificent trees, today it has been replaced by a thicket of towering buildings. I captured this photo to show that we can’t destroy and lose all
of our precious forests and nature. Vancouver’s rainforest is one of the most beautiful woodlands I’ve ever set my eyes upon. I want to make sure we humans keep it that way.
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Christina Morales
Untitled
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I always loved the minimalist aesthetic, so that was my inspiration during this whole process. As I went around my school hallways, the window’s sun reflection caught my eye, so of course I had to capture it. This may look like an ordinary photo, but the little details, such as the window pane reflections, the shiny
floor with the small radiator, make this photo well put together.
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Euna Gaunia
Nightmare
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Many people’s imaginations include nightmares. My photograph expresses how a nightmare can come to life in the real world, making us feel as if our imagination is becoming real and giving us goosebumps
just by looking at the picture.
Jaden Jordan
Light
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In this piece, I interrupt the swag of out-of-pocket emotions to make the piece pop. I took
inspiration from Jean-Michel Basquiat and the album cover for Freewave 3 by Lucki.
Joshua Nebres
Expensive Beauty
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Vancouver has always been a beautiful city in terms of architecture and scenery. However,
Vancouver faces a massive crisis in homelessness and people living below the poverty line because of high housing, groceries, and low income. Driving through places such as Hastings and the downtown eastside is
disheartening. Using the theme Shadow and Light, I want to showcase the beauty and dark side of Vancouver. I want people to keep the seriousness of the rent crisis and the rising unhoused population in mind. Everyone
has the right to live in a home, not a box, and to afford a fridge full of food and clothes to wear
Joshua Samaai
Idealism​
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I have always been someone who prefers to keep to myself. As a result, I recognize the value of using art as a means of expressing one’s own feelings and emotions. Whether it was music, movies, or television, growing up, I was always exposed to media that was meant to evoke strong emotions in listeners and viewers. This is the source of my inspiration. I admire how music has the ability to captivate us and evoke certain emotions within us through its lyricism, tempo, or tone. My goal in creating my own artwork is to convey the sense of storytelling that these many musical elements create. That’s the reason I chose to do this piece. I decided to incorporate light and shadow, the dark representing reality and the light representing idealism, to establish a rapport with the viewer. Evoking emotions within them while keeping the story open
to their own interpretation.
Katie van der Giessen
Reality vs. Ideal
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Sometimes I dress up and change my appearance. I adjust the way I walk, talk, and sit as I try to live up to an ideal that exists nowhere else but in my mind, and I know I’m not the only one who does this in life. My photograph explores the idea that there are two sides to everyone, symbolized by Light and Shadow. Our selves in light are not necessarily good or moral, but the aspects of ourselves that we see as flawless
and take pride in are our ideal selves. Ourselves in shadow are our true selves, flawed and imperfect. We
can only wistfully look at our perfect selves in the light, knowing it is not something we can genuinely be all the time. ‘Shadow’ is the reality, and ‘Light’ is the ideal that is all too often unattainable. I believe we need to understand this to set realistic standards for ourselves so that we can appreciate living in the moment.
Kristel Lazada
Lucid Dreams
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Through my artwork, I want to show how people struggle with unexpected dreams, creating a
visual narrative of the challenges they face. Shadows and passageways were two of the ways I achieved this goal. Hallways can represent the transitional spaces between different stages of life or the unknown paths
we navigate when our dreams take unexpected turns. My photograph conveys the feelings of confusion and tenacity that accompany dream preservation.
Kylle Bernardo
Bitten Apple
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I want the viewers to know that our feelings and emotions can be expressed through art to
show that our emotions are valid. As a person whose insecurities used to make me feel the need to hide my emotions, I have learned to just be true to myself and to always validate my feelings. That is why I thought it would be amazing to use a bitten apple to create art. Sometimes, even at our darkest moments, we feel the need to look happy, hiding ourselves due to our own insecurities. I want the viewers to know that our imperfections are what make us who we are and that we must embrace our uniqueness.
larissa glowacki
Cloud
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I’ve always been the one to pull out my phone on a nice sunny day and snap a photo of the
scenery, especially of the bright blue sky. In this photo I’ve removed the colour and edited it to be black and
white.
Louis Ho
Tobin(s)
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I am an international student living in Canada. I once saw an ad where, every day, two fans went
to watch a football game together. One seemed grumpy, while the other was always happy. Then one day, the grumpy fan showed up, but the happy fan was not there anymore. This ad and the mistake I made in focusing my camera became the inspiration for my image. My photo is of Tobin, a fellow classmate in my photography class. I made the color photograph look clear because it represents what we can clearly see just by looking at a person. However, what we see is not always the truth, and this is represented by the fuzzy black and white parts of the image, the not-so-easy-to-see part. You do not know what someone is going
through or has gone through. So be respectful to everyone, do not judge, and check up on your friends and family regularly. Be the light in their shadows, and you will find your own source of light.
Miranda Blessie Sansano
Garden
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Scars that I am made up of yet seem invisible to the outsider’s eye are an undercurrent that
flows throughout my body and soul. They have permeated the deepest part of my inner self and left their marks on me, filled with darkness and despair. But, when light seeps through these etchings, I am forced to realize that these are the stories that piece together to create the essence of my identity. When the sun shines its way through the dirt of my soul, the tiny buds of flowers become clearer, and I see the sprouts making their way to the surface in their effort to bloom. As I blink again, all I see is a garden filled with little buds and flowers webbed across a foundation of what was just dirt and soil.
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What does your garden look like?
Mehrab Uddin
A Glimpse Within
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This work reflects my inner self — its complexities, emotions, and growth. I draw inspiration from
my moments of solitude and how I use it to improve myself as a person. I encourage everyone to pause and reflect on their inner selves, fostering a sense of personal connection and self-awareness. My message is to value yourself and use the experiences you have had to make your future better. This image serves as a gentle reminder to pause, ponder, and appreciate the profound richness within each of us, as we are all
busy with our daily lives and the obstacles that we face. Enjoy what you have and the memories you create along the way.
Mikayla Langbis
Acceptance
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For the theme Shadow and Light, I wanted to incorporate the struggles with one’s identity, specifically my personal experience with finding my identity. The model is in the center of the image, with one butterfly perched on her back and more in her hair. Growing up, I didn’t like the way I looked, whether that was my face or body, nor did I view myself as “good enough.” I didn’t see myself as smart, thin, pretty, and confident. It was to the point where I would compare myself to unrealistic standards. Transitioning to high school was not any better. But as time went by, I slowly started to accept myself for who I am. The model is mostly blocked by the shadow in the image, which I did purposely to symbolize my struggles. The butterflies symbolize my growth in finding and accepting myself.
Molly Bollivar
living Statues
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Would you want your kids to live in a place where they can't walk without a mask, or not be able to see the beauty of nature? Well, that will happen if YOU don’t watch where you put your waste and how much waste you collect. I believe that the environment that we live in, especially our school, is key to survival and life in general. The humongous trees, majestic plants, and the big blue oceans are what thrive all around us and it is what keeps us going. An example is the image above which is my school. This relates to the topic as our young generation is our future and caretaker for our planet that we live on. If they don't learn from the start at a place that is filled with knowledge, how can we expect them to spread awareness and start right now if they aren't getting fed knowledge that is key to survival. School is also a place where you learn many new things, so why is it that there is garbage seemingly everywhere. As we move on in life, we need to watch how much garbage we waste and throw out, even thinking and doing in small amounts will make a huge difference. If not, we can be in a lot of trouble.
Mya Garrido Diaz
Untitled
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We are all made of intertwined light and shadow. We try to conceal it, but it is there, deep within us. It’s always there, peeking through the cracks and the flames, even if we wear masks to hide it. It is present
in our hopes and dreams and in our highs and lows. Everything is always made from light and shadow. Only by embracing all parts of ourselves can we truly be free.
Nathan Mahari
Solitude
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I’m quiet and laid-back. I enjoy talking to people and having meaningful conversations, but I don’t go to large social events. It’s less social anxiety and more of a dislike for large crowds. I can be big on procrastination when it comes to tasks, but I always get the job done, whether it takes a while or not. I work hard on the things I prefer to work hard on, and sometimes I compulsively do that. I’m an overall kind and respectful person. I prefer those same traits when I make friends as well. The driving force behind my work was my internal feelings and how I make my place in situations. It’s my understanding of myself that, in turn, made me express it in a photo. In other words, the driving force was me. Through my work, I hope others realize that it’s okay to keep to yourself at times, and you shouldn’t feel bad for not fitting in.
Parneet Dhaliwal
City Within
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I like to capture moments where there are many different ways to see the same thing. My image
showcases how a moment in life can have many different perspectives and more than just one story. Close-up, there is not much going on or a lot to see, whereas the expanded image presents the street life and all the possible opportunities. In life, there are many obstacles that seem dark up close, but when stepping
back to look at the bigger picture, light shines on all the possible ways to overcome them. Life is all about the way you view it and tackle it, one step at a time.
Russell Alamay
I, Me and Myself
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The auditorium had stages lights that I loved to play around. Tobin and I went to the auditorium.
It was pitch black it was amazing to be in so many scenes that could have been made here. Tobin then tried to use the stages lights, but it wasn’t working. So, we had to use the basic yellow lights. First Tobin went and took his photos. But I couldn’t miss the opportunity to use the auditorium too. And the idea of a self-portrait I took a photo of myself though a mirror. A true reflection of myself.
Rizwan Mohammed
Silence
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There she dances.
Under the moonlight.
Too bright to see.
You feel the shiver and chill.
She twirls in silence.
The forest and its darkness binds her.
Traps her.
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My photo wants you to confront the uncanny and mysterious. It should make you question the story within the picture. I want this to challenge perceptions and resonate with the viewers. Through an exploration of eerie atmospheres and hints of the supernatural, I aim to evoke a visceral response, leaving you both unsettled and intrigued. My inspiration was the fact that this project lets me explore the unsettling parts of the human psyche and those themes, and how they play into our lives unnoticed. I was inspired by photographers like Kelly Jean, whose eerie photos evoke a profound sense of unease, I seek to create a psychological journey that challenges perceptions and dives into the depths of existential dread and curiosity. My photograph serves as a guide into the unknown, inviting you to unravel the layers of meaning and emotion hidden within.
Simrat Nagra
The city that never sleeps
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I find beauty within the bustling city; through my lens I have presented a personal vision rooted
in connection to my city and its inhabitants. The bridge with its steady stream of oncoming and departing traffic serves as a metaphor for life’s journey, navigating challenges and triumphs. Cars filled with people, a reminder of the struggles and hardships, the joys and celebrations, that play out inside the vehicles. Through my art, I aim to evoke empathy and introspection. To contemplate the unseen narratives that unfold within the urban landscape and to recognize the resilience and strength of everyday individuals, pushing away
shadows to welcome light into their lives.
Sophia Mercader
The Psyche of You
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I incorporated the use of shadow and light, symbolizing the complexities of our moral compass. I wanted to share a concept that represented my own feelings and ideas as well as those around me, not only the feelings and ideas of people around me, and the theme helped me do that. Personally, when I was
young, I did not understand the meaning of good and bad. But now, everything seems like a blur. Both have a role to play in a human’s moral compass. I want to challenge the idea of good and evil as distinct entities by showing how they are intertwined in our lives. No one is entirely good or evil. By combining multiple portraits, I want to reshape how we see human nature. and explore what drives and motivates us. How do we find hope in the darkness? My goal is to provoke thought and encourage viewers to confront their own shadows
and embrace the light within themselves. Art has the power to illuminate the darkest corners of our psyche, leading us towards a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other.
Tia Sindhu
City of Dreams​
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I strive to capture the allure and resilience found within the vibrant cityscape. Using perception
and interpretation, I present a personal perspective deeply connected to my city and its people. A bridge
symbolizes life’s journey, navigating both obstacles and successes. By playing with light and shadow, I portray the quiet battles faced by individuals amidst the city’s chaos. The constant flow of traffic on the bridge serves as a metaphor for life’s journey, filled with its own challenges and victories. I explore the themes of light and shadow throughout my work, depicting the struggles endured by many in silence. Through my art, I aim to inspire empathy and self-reflection in viewers, encouraging them to consider the untold stories within the urban setting and to acknowledge the resilience of ordinary people as they overcome darkness to embrace light.
Tobin Blackstock
Safe haven
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My name is Tobin Blackstock, and I am a grade 10 student at John Oliver Secondary School. This is my first year of taking photography, and I am hoping to get better through the course. I created this image to talk about my childhood and shed some light on my experiences. I did not have a huge inspiration for this image; I just did what felt right and something that would be personal but also fit the subject. My largest inspiration was the thoughts that would go through my mind when I was being bullied through elementary school. The message I want to convey with this image is that even though sometimes it feels like bad thoughts are too large to escape, it is best to succumb to them. But there will always be a bit of light to make you feel better. It is just a process of finding what that is for you. I hope you enjoyed my photo.
Tsepyel Peayma Tsokye
Why?
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For me personally, family is the most important thing and it doesn’t matter to me whether we
are related by blood or not. I have been moving around a lot ever since I was born, within my country and gradually moving to here, Canada. So going to a new school every time we moved was nerve-wracking, but my family was there for me, and I met many people who felt like family and helped me through. So my photography signifies how everything happens for a reason, and we shouldn’t control everything that is
happening. My photography is just of the eyes watching as changes appear because life should be looked at like that, especially around the things we can’t control.
Vaughn Bowen
Rocco.
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My photography journey just started at the beginning of 2024, but I have gained and learned so much since then. I love capturing images of animals and nature and one of my main sources of inspiration is my dog, Rocco. I believe that pets and other animals can be sources of light through dark times, which
is what Rocco provides for me. To me, Rocco is the light. We often go on nature walks and come across beautiful trees, scenery and other life that are begging to be photographed, which brings me joy. I hope my image provides a sense of happiness, because that is what animals, especially Rocco, brings to me.
