Aaron Chan
Ghost Hands
Every single person has regretted something in their life. When making important choices, we often ponder what option to take. Should we focus solely on money or worry only about what makes us happy? Should we do what is easiest or take a risk on the hard route, where we may fail? Almost everyone will pick the easier choice. I want you to go to any adult and ask, “Did you follow your dreams?” Most of them will say no. How different are their childhood aspirations from what they do now as adults? As children, we are carefree; we can dream to be anything, but as we grow up, society tells us we have to “be mature,” “grow up,” and focus on “real” jobs. You can achieve whatever you want to do. The sky’s the limit! The question is how far would you go to achieve your dreams? Your goals? Would you go to extreme lengths to make yourself
happy? Take the risk? The hard road? Or will you surrender yourself to society’s expectations?
Alejandra Hernandez
Untitled
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I am a Mexican artist whose passion for photography began when one of my sisters asked me
to take photos of her while we were on a trip. I had no idea how to use a camera, but I was just itching to take
the photo! My first attempts were out of focus and with inappropriate lighting. My sister got angry because
she didn’t like them and started teaching me how to take good photos. That’s where my passion for photos
was born. I’ve always liked sunsets and when I heard about the theme of Shadow and Light, I knew that a
focus on the light of a sunset would be the focus of my work. I had never taken any photography lessons
and when I saw that there was a photography class at my new school I decided to get involved to continue
learning to take photos.
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Alyssa Brick
Festive Glow
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I love taking lots of images in my free time, as it is a creative outlet that allows me to tell stories
and express myself in visual ways. Through the lens, I can capture the beauty of nature, the emotions of
people, and the essence of different places. Generating beautiful shadows that dance and play on the surrounding
surfaces, I was inspired to capture the light and shadow created by candlelight. The glow of the
candle and the festive ambiance it creates evokes the feelings of coziness, being together, and a sense of
wonder. Wonderful moments we all cherish looking back on the holiday season.
Ash Gurd
Quiet Chaos
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“What if everything we know about the dark is wrong, we’ve been told to fear it, to stay in the light. Those who fell to it would be shamed for being weak. Even with the warnings, I want to fall into the dark,
the quiet chaos that drowns out the light, drowns out the loud chaos of life.”— Excerpt from a short story written by Ash Gurd.
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I am an avid young writer and photographer. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I produce media of
my experiences in the under-represented community as well as representing mental health struggles. This
image is inspired by a short story I wrote regarding mental health using the shadows as an allegory for mental health. I appreciate the opportunity to showcase both my writing and photography, as I have wanted to create a project combining them both for quite some time. This program has inspired me to explore further opportunities with multimedia projects and continue my journey within the arts.
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Avery Patmore
My Light
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First, I want to acknowledge my beautiful cousin, the model and my biggest inspiration, Orah.
She has only made my life better. Through this project, I continuously thought about how I wanted to represent the theme, Light and Shadow. I wanted to ensure this project had a direct connection to my life and I thought about the hard times, good times, funny times, and adventurous times I have been through. All these beautiful moments I have connected to my cousin. Orah is the person in my life who consistently makes me smile and laugh, even if I am having the worst day. After a lot of time, I decided it would be perfect for my final product to be the light in my life, Orah.
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Avery Ma
REWIND
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I have been obsessed with the aesthetic of “outdated” technology for as long as I can remember.
Inspired by the theme of Shadow and Light, I saw the two as not only opposites, but an inseparable pair; they
complete each other and exist together. You can see this idea arise just about everywhere in day-to-day life
if you open your mind to it and let it inspire you.
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Brooke Williams
Visible
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Everyone has struggles that are not apparent, however some choose to hide them while others
do not or cannot. I used to be someone who would do anything to hide my struggles because I cared so
much about what others thought of me. I was constantly worried that people would perceive me negatively if they knew about my personal issues. I would put on a happy face which would just make my problems worse. I connected this to the theme with this concept of invisible/ visible struggles. My message to others is to be kind to others no matter if you like them or not; you can never know what they are going through.
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Cayden Allen
Vancouver Sunset
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Hi, my name is Cayden Allen and I play baseball for the North Shore Twins and U18 Great Britain National Team. I also play hockey and beach volleyball. I enjoy skiing and taking photos. My photography style is nature and sports; I love being able to go out and capture moments and views that nature holds. My inspiration or driving force behind my work is to show people what the outdoors is all about and the amazing access we have in British Columbia to the mountains, forests, and views — all in our backyard! I love that I can step outside my front door and be in the middle of a natural landscape that combines the mountains and city. The world holds much more than what is shown on TV or in video games; to really understand you have to get outside. Additionally, we don’t know how long we will have all these amazing views and landscapes until they disappear or are damaged by global warming and our human footprint.
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Chloe Taylor
Citrus Dawn
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This image is a reflection of my identity, illustrating both my affinity for athletic pursuits and the
warm ambiance that early morning sunrises provide. In my photographic practice, I strive to capture images from a fresh perspective. Placing a tea light behind an orange was a deliberate choice, drawing from my early memories relishing orange slices post-game as a young athlete and as a way to project the warm glow I’m drawn to in an early morning sunrise, to capture my multifaceted nature in an unexpected way. I aspire for this image to convey a universal message to its audience, to serve as that form our identities are fleeting, yet they pave the way for fresh beginnings and transformative experiences much like a glowing sunrise. A reminder that the past can be re-formed in new and unexpected ways. These passing moments.
Chelsea Clark
reflections
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Capturing moments in time is exactly what, I believe, photography is for; however, capturing the
special moments is something entirely different. Self-reflection is an important part of what makes humans
unique, which is what I wanted to convey in my image. Shadow can be the epitome of self-reflection, and the
ability to step outside yourself and reflect. The model is faceless, to allow everyone to connect to the image,
to see themselves facing the light and leaving the darkness behind them. I believe that looking towards the light can indicate choosing to get better, leaving the dark shadow behind you, self-reflecting and stepping into a better version of ourselves; a decision we each get to make everyday.
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Coco Louie
A Break from Media
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I wanted to explore how media affects our perception of our own identity. Constantly being online
can negatively impact our self-perception and often leads to comparing ourselves to others online. I used
shadow and light to show the positive and negative impacts of media. This is important to me because we
are so reliant on our devices which makes it difficult to put them down. Consuming too much media can be
overwhelming so it is important to put your phone down and to just live in the moment.
Dylan Lilley
Story Through Light
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This photo is a showcase of the story of life through a face, and how shadow and light work in combination to change the way you see this story. A portrait shattered into multiple pieces, each showing a different variation of shadow and light, which can change the way you see someone. Like a movie, the person walking off into the sunset looked like a different person during the dark hours of the night. You can’t judge someone based on the light you see them in, you must take the time to get to know a person and see the multiple different sides of them hidden behind the shadow and light.
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Hadley Feuermann
Smile?
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In Smile?, I aim to shed light on the societal pressure placed on women to conform to a cheerful
and happy facade. This photograph captures what it looks and feels like when a man tells you to smile.
It reveals underlying power dynamics and the suppression of her true emotions. Through this image, I hope that it sparks conversations about gender expectations and empower women to embrace their authentic and true selves.
Emily Arnet
Spinning Out of Reality
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When I heard the theme; Shadow and Light, it immediately made me think of mental health.
Personally, when my mental health starts to get low, I tend to zone out, and I feel like this image is like a little snapshot into zoning out. I used dark colours to represent the challenges, and light colours to represent the happiness. This image shows a spiral effect, the dark and the light, and how they mix along the way. My inspiration came from my own personal experience and from when I have waves of different emotions. I want to show people how life may feel like you are spinning in circles, but it will always balance itself out.
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Graham Berry
Burning Earth
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As I reflect on the past two years living on the North Shore of Vancouver, I appreciate more than
ever the beauty of where I live and the fragility of the environment. Inspired by Pat Kane, and his work in the
North, I wanted to focus on the beauty of land around me and think about the impact we as humans have
on the environment. For my submission, I have burned an image I took while hiking in Brandywine Meadows
to show how climate change is slowly eating away at nature around us. The fire represents the darkness of
climate change and the negative impact it has on our environment while the Brandywine Meadows photo
represents the beauty and light that is nature
Hailey JL Morrison
Looking At You
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The first detail that catches the eye within the image is the fluorescent magenta glow, vertically
positioned facing the subject, causing the right side of the subject to have more of a warmer tone. As you
can see, the subject has taken up the entire frame, revealing her best features, like her freckles that still
manage to stand out in the blur. She has a charming grin and beautiful big eyes that gleam with grace and compassion. My goal with this piece is to define the image just enough to where the viewer can create their own description of what they think the piece is about.
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Hanna Hoppe
Different Moods
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This photograph holds a story, a message that not every day is the best, but you should make
the most of it anyway. While I captured an image I feel conveys a sad mood, I realize the same image could
be very different captured in colour with the subject smiling. Small changes can make all the difference,
it just depends on the perspective you bring to each moment.
Isabella Berisavac
Untitled
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In capturing this image on a dark, gloomy evening, I am seeking to embrace the subtle beauty
that often can go unnoticed in the shadows. Through my interplay of muted tones and soft lighting, my intention for the viewer is to evoke a contemplative mood. I want them to look beyond the gloom, recognizing the delicate nuances that exist in the moments of quietude, ultimately encouraging a deeper connection with the quieter facets of life.
Jacob Bell
Artificial Sun
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This photograph holds a story, a message that not every day is the best, but you should make
the most of it anyway. While I captured an image I feel conveys a sad mood, I realize the same image could
be very different captured in colour with the subject smiling. Small changes can make all the difference,
it just depends on the perspective you bring to each moment.
Jake Proseilol
Hope in nature
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In capturing this image on a dark, gloomy evening, I am seeking to embrace the subtle beauty
that often can go unnoticed in the shadows. Through my interplay of muted tones and soft lighting, my intention for the viewer is to evoke a contemplative mood. I want them to look beyond the gloom, recognizing the delicate nuances that exist in the moments of quietude, ultimately encouraging a deeper connection with the quieter facets of life.
Jimmy Boyd
Lantern Dreamscape
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In the embrace of nocturnal urbanity, Lantern Dreamscape captures the enchanting dance
of light and shadow within a dimly lit alley filled with glowing Chinese lanterns. Guided by the inspiration
of Brassai’s nocturnal poetics, this photograph explores the profound narratives embedded in the urban night. Taken under the cloak of darkness, the illuminated lanterns cast intricate shadows, painting the alley. This photo merges street and surreal photography, employing long exposures to achieve the textures and forms. The hanging lanterns, aglow in the night, serve as beacons. “Lantern Dreamscape” invites viewers to navigate the mystery of the urban night.
Kaitlin Russell
The Artist
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Through my lens, I aim to capture the strength of women in sports. Using powerful colours and
bold shadows, I aim to highlight and inspire the narrative of empowerment and fight off the stereotypes of women in sports. As a female athlete, this topic is important to me. These specifically chosen, bold colours that are projected onto my model’s face show power, strength, and a sense of energy, all while providing a look of balance. In this image, I have used light as a metaphor and symbol of strength. The colours I chose are red and a leaning towards blue but with a hint of a green colour. With the intentional use of these complimentary colours, this enhances the overall impact of the image, to help capture the viewers’ eye. My work seeks to gain the attention of people to emphasize the significance of shaping a more inclusive environment for all athletes.
Kendra McKinnon
Light
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I am fascinated by space and through this theme, I was able to experiment with taking photos
of the moon and the stars. In the brainstorming phase of this project, I was considering many paths including using soft orbs of light made by the city at night. I made the connection between the city lights at night and the stars in space and I combined these two ideas to capture these photos of the city and the moon that I then fused into one. I wanted to compare and draw attention to the connection between artificial and natural light as well as the impact that we as humans make on the natural world through light and shadow. My hope is that the person looking at this photo will take just a few seconds to reflect on the impact they have on this planet.
Khaliya McWilliams
Timeless Transparency
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For many years I have practised the violin in a church with enchanting glass shining down on
me. So, when I heard the theme was Shadow and Light it immediately brought me back to memories of the glistening glass. Stained glass windows, whether in a grand cathedral or a cozy chapel, tell stories. They are like visual narratives of tradition, art, and spirituality. Stained glass invites others to see the world through a different, more colourful lens. They can have palettes that combine harmonious tones or feature a spectrum of different colours. This can reinforce the idea that unity comes from embracing diversity.
Michelle Lilley
Light in the Dark
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I felt drawn to this theme through experience, whether that be self-experienced or seeing it in the people you love, I know what struggle looks like. It is something everyone can relate to and find within themselves. Trying to find the light in the dark is the reality of life. My inspiration comes from the girl I know in this image. She is the strongest person I know who has deeply struggled with mental health and found the courage to work through it. She is the most optimistic person I know and she inspires me to find the best in everything. A takeaway from this image is that extremity is important, though this image appears highly edited or overshadowed, i wanted it to appear this way in order to attempt to convey how extreme depression can feel when you are within the midst of it.
Minerva Itzel Ruiz Soto
A walk home
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Even though I am not a fan of horror movies, I am intrigued by our desire to feel alarmed and
scared within the safety of our homes or a theatre. Capturing this was the inspiration for my image. Fear is a survival instinct in real life, and a feeling I experience most days when passing through poorly lit places. Although it is a horrible emotion, I honestly feel at home with it since I have never felt safe walking on the streets in Mexico. Even just outside my own house I fear for my safety. My image evokes my own emotional experiences with fear, allowing the viewer to feel alarmed while safe and experiencing an universal emotion we have all felt from time to time in the eerie spaces between light and shadow.
Morgan Reedman
Nature Takes Its Course
(CYANOTYPE ON WATERCOLOUR PAPER)
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I have fond memories of creating cyanotypes in the summer sun when I was younger, and I wanted to reimagine this experience by working physically with shadow and light to create a cyanotype print of my current work in photography. The childhood bewilderment of how the sun could make photos
magically appear on paper, was a feeling I wanted to recreate for myself and others who don’t know about
cyanotypes. I made these prints by putting light sensitive chemicals on watercolour paper which then developed my negatives in the sun’s UV rays. In my process, I let nature take its course and accepted the final result as it is. Some parts of the print are under-exposed due the uncertainty of cyanotype printing, which makes each piece unique. I think that the imperfections of the photo make it even more special. By allowing nature’s imperfections to reveal themselves, it also shows that some things are out of our control, just likehow the branches take over the skeleton in the photo.
Moritz Schiller
Durchleuchtung
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My work originated from a lot of experimenting. I gained many different views for my project, and how I wanted it to manifest in the end. Finally, I came to a decision. I wanted to show the viewer how something or someone can be more than just the facade they’re showing you. Sometimes, you need to look deeper into people, pay more attention to them, search them, as if you’re shining with a flashlight through glass. And occasionally, you can reach them at their core and see what their true emotions are, how they actually feel like. One can see this as the shadow being projected onto the surface and creating unusual shadows, for a part of them it’s even debatable whether or not you can call them shadows or if it’s light.
Sasha Dickson
Collaborative Glow
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My name is Sasha Dickson and I am a 15 year old student who lives in North Vancouver, BC. The
purpose of my work was to create an image that symbolizes how physically in my case, but metaphorically how together we can make the world a brighter place. I have enjoyed doing photography in my spare time ever since I got my first camera about five years ago. I took inspiration from the work of Nan Goldin and her use of motion blur. I thought that it would be a unique way to capture the light from the cars. Throughout my life, I have begun to realize that the world isn’t actually the perfect place that some depict it to be. There is a lot of hostility and selfishness. And yes, I do know that there are kind people, but they seem hard to come across and I wish it did not have to be that way. I wanted to create an image that implied that message, but without making it too obvious.
Sofia Malaguti
sunset in the snow
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This photo represents one of my favourite things, the sunset. I love the colours displayed in the sky, changing in each different moment, at first more yellow and then transforming to orange and pink,
before finally fading into darkness. In this moment while breathing in the fresh mountain air, I felt free and serene, seeing the sun slowly set and the lights of the city below light up, capturing light and shadow in one single image of mountain snow, city, and ocean.
Tessa Harris
Duchess
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Fashion conveys a person’s inner self. Who they are and who they inspire to be, fashion can
demonstrate this idea of individualism. The idea of individualism and female strength was really what I wanted to show in my image. I wanted to convey a simple yet very powerful energy in my photo. Using the symbolic and universal idea of the heels and a little black dress. Having the idea of a woman can dress however they want whenever they want. Using the black and white as well as the black dress and shoes, and white background. I used these to bring the shadow and light component into my photo as well as adding to that powerful mood I wanted to portray.
Tim Nelson
Untitled
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I have enjoyed photography for quite some time now. I enjoy capturing the simplest things in life and I think that there’s lots of beauty in simplicity. I was somewhat inspired by the techniques and moods
of chiaroscuro and loneliness. My original intentions were to have some sunset lighting in the image, then
I realized that the opportunity was right in front of me down at the bottom of my street. This photo shows that even in all the simplicity, there is beauty everywhere you look.
Tomas Vagner
Untitled
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Sunsets happen everyday, yet none are the same as the day before. There are a large variety of
natural factors that affect the light and shadows making each one a unique experience to witness. My hope was that I would be lucky to capture something special. I believe that happened. I had just finished capturing a series of photographs of the sunset and I was leaving because I needed to catch my bus, but then I turned around one more time, and I knew it was my lucky moment. An array of colours behind the Vancouver skyline, ranging from blue through red to even green-ish lit up the sky. And then, just a few minutes later, it was gone. It suddenly occurred to me how easily we can miss something beautiful. If I hadn’t turned around, I would have never seen this beautiful and fleeting moment. I am sure glad I turned around and was lucky enough to be able to freeze this beautiful moment in time.
