Alice Chen
The End of the Day
After coming to Canada, I was constantly surrounded by clouds of anxiety. The fear of not
adapting to the new environment haunted me. One day after school, I decided to go for a walk in the UBC campus. Listening to the crisp crush of leaves underneath my shoes, I felt comforted. The gentle rays embraced me. The traffic sign of 30 km/h seemed to remind me that it’s fine to slow down and I should not worry about my new life too much. On my way home, I looked at the sunset and realized that I had never seen such a beautiful scene in my life. At that moment, I felt anchored. The UBC campus was more than a
university town. It’s home.
Angel Chen
Roll the Lambent Spokes
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My photograph, Roll the Lambent Spokes, was taken near a bus stop around the Vancouver campus of UBC. The photograph features an overwhelming sense of darkness that seemingly envelopes its surroundings, while only a few objects are partially illuminated by a solitary street lamp and the soft glow of lights inside a bus. The name of my photograph references a line from a poem called Vancouver Lights by Canadian author Earle Birney. In the poem, the speaker discusses how the artificial sparks of light made by human beings are the hopes and dreams that will light our way out of darkness. My photograph captures the resilience and strength of the human spirit. The passengers boarding the bus are a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life, but they are together, working hard, and moving towards a common destination. This is not just a physical destination but a figurative one, where their hopes and dreams can come true. They represent the determination, grit, and resolve of human beings in the face of darkness.
Angela Cai
Shadow
My photograph is a very vivid memory of my life, which depicts the shadow of a tree hiding in
the summer sun’s shade.
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Annie Xu
Raindrop
Nature’s voice whispers as I wander through the woods, raging with the streams, falling into my
mind like a raindrop. Our planet is under serious contamination, and nature cries out to gain our attention. I feel weak when I declare my support to stand on the side of nature while continuing actions that may do damage to the environment. As long as we consume, loot, and take from nature without giving back, the environment will not be saved. So pause and take a second to see how beautiful the uncontaminated lands can be without all the damage we’ve done and considered. What have you taken away from our lovely Mother Nature?
Ari Manolis​
Reservoir
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The photo is of my friend at dawn at a water reservoir. The moment is captured through the lens of inspiration. The music group Drain Gang inspired my image, as their aesthetic usually involves bright light and oversaturation, along with an eerie theme. Another source of inspiration for me was the work of Ansel Adams. He uses contrast and light to bring life to his images. I combine both the likes of Ansel Adams and Drain Gangs’ aesthetic by using contrast to bring more attention to the person in my photo.
Bohan Zhang
Moonlight
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Like most people all over this country, I am just a normal student. However, I have had a passion
for photography for many years, and that is why I chose to participate in this interesting and creative project, Shadow and Light. Over the past month, I have worked hard to try to find something to shoot that is worthy of being published in a national catalog. On a normal day, just like many others before, I happened to look up and see the moon hidden behind a leaf. I knew instantly that this fleeting moment of beauty was what I had been searching for — a capture deserving of publication. I realized our everyday lives are filled with visions of beauty, if we only look for them. Just like the quote by Auguste Rodin, “In short, Beauty is everywhere. It is not that she is lacking to our eye, but our eyes which fail to perceive her.”
Brennya Ho
Urban Oasis
Urban Oasis captures the serene beauty of unexpected moments. Evoking contemplation and wonder, the image invites viewers to enjoy a harmonious and beautiful respite that provides escape from the chaotic pace of urban life. Through the interplay of light and shadow, the verdant visual is a reminder of the importance of enjoying and cherishing unexpected moments when presented to us.
Brian Kim
Same Direction, Different Destination
In life, we, as individuals, all have different journeys, goals, and dreams we chase to get where we want to be. Throughout this journey, we may meet and invite others to join us to get to our final destination.
However, this doesn’t happen often. Because we all have different destinations in life, the sad truth is that
sometimes we have to part ways to achieve our goals. Same Direction, Different Destination is a hard pill to
swallow, teaching us that we truly only have ourselves in life since everyone has different goals and destinies. Overall, we may stop beside each other, we may park next to each other, and we may even go most of the way together, but at the end of the day, there will be a time when a person must split up and get to the final destination by themselves.
Camille Ting
Chasing You
My work captures the internal struggle we face when we look into the mirror and see someone who doesn’t match up with the person we aspire to be. Drawn from my own experience with self-perception, I wanted to capture the quiet, intimate moment of introspection that happens when we’re alone with ourselves and our thoughts. In this piece, I portray an individual confronting their reflection, the two figures about to
touch, yet held apart by the realization that the reflection before them does not align with the person they are searching for within themselves. Instead, their gaze is drawn elsewhere. This image is a visual representation of chasing that ideal, perfect self, only to be met with their true, “flawed” selves in their reflection. Through my work, I aim to convey that imperfection is a part of what it means to be human. Rather than chasing an unattainable ideal of perfection, my art encourages embracing our flaws as integral parts of our identity. Only through this acceptance can we find true growth and fulfillment.
Claudia Lopez Garcia
Ollie!
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My dog Ollie is the sweetest and rowdiest boy dog you will ever meet. Shadow and Light is the perfect theme to present Ollie’s contrasting personalities. Although Ollie is lovingly looking at my camera, waiting for his favourite treat, we are actually distracting him from a barking dog outside. While he can be cuddly and loveable one minute, the next Ollie is rushing to the window and screaming at the husky downstairs. Loud and viscous, endearing and huggable, Ollie makes my life infinitely richer, and I wouldn’t change a thing about him. He is the best dog you will ever meet.
Daniel Wang
Skyline Symphonies: Skiing in Alpine Contrast
In the tranquil embrace of the Alps, I find solace and euphoria through skiing’s mesmerizing dance. My art aims to capture this liberation, freezing it in pixels, resonating with adrenaline and passion. Each curve in the snow tells a story of harmony between the human spirit and nature’s vast canvas. Through my lens, I convey the raw energy of skiing through majestic mountains, wind whispering secrets as I weave between pines. In Bardonecchia, I found a muse — an expanse where gravity is my partner and the landscape, my stage. My work invites you to feel the thrill of rapid motion, the crisp air against your cheeks, and the gentle crunch of snow beneath skis. May it evoke the freedom and joy that fuels my soul with each exhilarating descent.
David Zhen
Fantaisie on a Theme by Poon Meenjoon.
Capturing familiar and seemingly uninteresting objects in compelling and unusual ways using
light and shadow is intriguing to me. I have always been fascinated with macro lenses, so when my teacher presented me with one to experiment with, I immediately filled the memory card with objects I found fascinating. This simple and unsuspecting metal handrail, used by countless people every day, metamorphosed into something quite different using light, shadow, and a macro lens. The dark splotches and depressions, combined with the black backdrop, make the handrail seem extraterrestrial. This project has shown me just how much can be done with even the most mundane everyday objects, and I am eager to get my own macro lens to continue capturing the unseen world around me.
Dora Thiessen
Past Reflections​
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Since I was around 7 years old, I had always lived in the same place. Just recently that all changed
for me. Last spring, my parents decided that my family was to move across the country to a place I had never been to. Leaving the people and the place you have always known is not easy. So, through photography I wanted to be able to capture that feeling. This photo was taken at night, as I was about to go to sleep. I saw the reflection and shadow coming from the light of my window. The shadow of the light created an illusion of another window. At that moment I could see both the past and the present simultaneously. The “light” being
the present, and the “shadow” representing the past. This image captured the feeling that I was searching for all along. The feeling of grief and loss of a place that I can no longer go back to, but is still with me.
Fangfei Zhu
"Sea" the Light
As the water rushes to greet me, the waves crash, washing my feet in the icy, white foam as it creates ripples on the sand, and I know I’m blessed to live near Spanish Banks Beach with its breathtaking
sunsets. As the sun fades, I do not know what lies beneath the unfathomable water, yet I’m attracted to the mysterious feeling. There is a harmony between nature and humans. We are interconnected. Our actions profoundly and permanently influence each other. My hands balance the light shining from the sun, and the
sunshine warms my palms. My art is a message. Explore nature, find beauty, and stop at nothing to protect our planet. It is definitely worth doing.
Felim Wang
DISPAIR
On this crumpled paper, there is not only an interplay of light and shadow but also the weight of despair. The paper, once new, now bears the marks of turbulent emotion, its surface twisted with pain. The
emphasis on shadows is a poignant reminder of the darkness that looms over us in moments of despair.
Yet within this darkness and shadow, there is another interplay of light that casts glimmers of hope among
the shadows. It is in this juxtaposition that the essence of human resilience emerges. As light filters through cracks, it illuminates scraps of paper, revealing traces of its past amid the chaos. These fragments symbolize moments of clarity and hope amid overwhelming despair, providing a beacon of light in the darkest of times.
Felix Yanku
Ocean Warmth
This portrays the ocean view, driving to Big Sur, where the sunlight illuminates the rocks and
the darkness emerges, hitting the side of the land where it creates a duality of light and shadow. The orangey- red tint of the coast invites a warm breeze, not only as temperature but as coloration too. The fierce wave crashes into the rocks almost like a strong punch from the earth. Is the light battling the dark? Who’s winning? These are what make pictures special, where you can inquire and get emotions almost like you are there, in a warm climate, showing the signs of summer.
G. Lin
Untitled
I’m just a simple student looking to survive in life. Similarly, this photo was made to convey a
simple message. I wished to convey humanity’s effect on nature through extreme contrast based on shade and lighting most similarly used by older artists and photographers of the past few decades. I wish for the audience to understand the difference in contrast of humanity and the nature that humanity is based upon, that often nature suffers for the actions of what we take granted for and that we will eventually have to face that as well.
Hanalley Yu
Serenity's Shore: Finding Solace in the Unknown
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In this mesmerizing world where light and shadow effortlessly blend, I find comfort and inspiration.
Throughout my life, the Philippines has been my home, where I grew up surrounded by family, friends, and cherished memories. However, a year ago, I moved to Vancouver, Canada, and everything changed. As a new student, I had to build a new life, make new friends, and adapt to a different environment. Amidst these challenges, the beach became my sanctuary. Back in the Philippines, beaches were plentiful, and my family and I would spend days under the sun. So, when I arrived in Vancouver, I sought out the nearest beach, and it quickly became a place of solace. Feeling the gentle breeze on my skin, the sun’s warm touch
on the sparkling waves, making them dance as the sun sets across the horizon, I finally found peace and a sense of belonging. It was as if everything would be okay, and indeed, it was.
Haocheng Luo
Rush Hour
Photographs are powerful tools of expression. I used photography as a tool to highlight a major issue that plagues all large cities and me on a personal level — traffic. I rely on Vancouver’s transit system to commute to and from school, as well as travel around the city. However, taking transit is notoriously unreliable as Vancouver’s buses frequently get caught in heavy traffic and construction in the city. Commuting via public transit takes up a significant chunk of my daily life, and severely affects the time I have in a day for just about anything due to the sheer amount of cars present on the road during the morning and afternoon rush hours. My image reflects my frustration whenever traffic interferes with my day, which is irritatingly frequent. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Using photography as a tool, it is my hope that more people will not only use public transit to eliminate traffic, but also demand our cities create more bus lanes and time-efficient ways for buses to move throughout our cities.
Harry Yu
«The Internet»
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I think nowadays a lot of people are easily influenced by what they see online, especially young people, when they see photos or articles. This can actually lead to a negative attitude. So let’s keep in mind that the Internet is not entirely real, social media can lie to us, and don’t believe too much of what you see online. Compare the Internet to a mirror that can create multiple virtual image spaces and make it difficult for people to say whether something is true or false. Through the mirror (the Internet), the “perfect self” and the imperfect “real self” in the eyes of others can realize the dialogue with the self, so as to achieve
the metaphor of “what is seen is not real.” It is hoped that people can really pay attention to and realize the impact of excessive Internet use, rethink life, and discover life.
Isaias Izquierdo
Sunrise
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The darkness of night gives way to the light of the day. The redness of the sky provokes a certain uneasiness, like the night is fighting to hold its grasp on the landscape, but the Sun’s corona peeks hopefully.
Jeremy Yan
Red Berries
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Hi my name is Jeremy and I think this is one of the best photos that I have ever taken. I was drawn
to these bright red berries at the Old Barn Community Centre. In order to get a closer look at the leaves and red colour, I used a long lens camera and zoomed in to shoot this shot. Additionally, I put the ISO on auto. Although I took some other photos of the red berries, I still think that this one is the best. The colour of the
berries is beautiful and the light from the sun made the berries look clear and bright. The purpose of this photo is to show how beautiful and colourful the berries are.
Jolie Xiong
second best
Up on the stage at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Laufey sings about unrequited love and I understand a bit more clearly what it means to be known. The soft lighting creates a sense of solace, filling me with
warmth as I reminisce about the past few months: going out to dinner with my friends, struggling through our classes together, and spending time writing alone. Reflecting on these relationships, I’ve come to realise the importance of connection, even with myself. I wish for my work to induce feelings of comfort: the warmth you feel under a blanket during cold winter nights. I believe that everybody deserves to be understood; to belong to a community with others who support you and to be able to connect to those who share your experiences. It’s this connection, transcending past our differences, that makes us human. The melancholy, wistful notes of the song contrast with the hope it inspires, peeling back layers of insecurity and assuring the audience with a promise of love.
Jones Gambarage
Webs Of Life
My artwork is a tribute to the tenacity and resourcefulness that I possess, as well as those of
nature. As a student who is fascinated by the complexities of nature, I want to reveal the silent yet profound story of spiders and their elaborate webs. I want to shed light on how intertwined spiders are, and the creative materials they use to survive. I take inspiration from the delicate yet strong structure of spider webs. I explored the depths of spider behavior, fascinated by their amazing architectural abilities and adaptable tactics. I want people to think about the similarities between the intricate webs that spiders spin and the intricate networks connected through their work. In the end, I want to convey awe for nature’s wisdom and an exhortation to recognize and protect the fragile equilibrium of our ecosystems. My goal is to inspire people to take care of the delicate balance of life on our planet by fostering in them a fresh appreciation for the wonder and complexity of nature.
Julian Poon
Water Stream
I am fascinated by the ways light refracts through different mediums. This image is created using
yellow daffodils and water; the water is in focus while the flowers in the background are blurred. Through
the water stream, however, the flowers have shape, but are greatly distorted. When water flows, it is usually turbulent and we are usually unable to see through it clearly, but this image “freezes” time to get a glimpse of the light, shadow, and how the irregular shape of water warps the image behind it.
Kate Zhang
Unconditional
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My mom is the most important person to me. She means home and comfort. She is also my best friend, best listener, and without her, I would not be the person I am today. Graduating and stepping into adulthood, I could not help but notice how fast time flies. Seeing her age gracefully also reminds me
of the years we have shared, every moment woven together in our close bond. My sole intention for this piece was just to simply express my endlessly gratitude towards my mom, capturing her best beauty in my
perspective.
Leo Tu
light in darkness
I am just a random, normal, ordinary, depressed, lost person who finds life meaningless, yet still
looking for hope because I know there is one. I am often alone at night when I return home and I don’t like to turn on the lights, because it shows me that no one is around, emphasizing my loneliness. Yet as I quietly sit in the dark alone, images begin to appear in front of my eyes. Shining stars, light from hundreds and thousands of lightyears away, are revealed because of the dark and shadowy sky. Beauty unseen without the dark. Beauty I take for granted unless I take the time to relax and welcome the quiet of a dark place, so the light can really be seen. Lighting the way for me to find my true self, see my true desires, and reminding me that if I ever get lost, return to the darkness, because that is where your true-self is hiding and where hope
is found once again.
Leon Han
The Concealed Pole
Life is often shrouded with dark shadows that conceal and anonymize. I know that in my life, I’ve
found it difficult to find hope within these shadows. The distant future is often blocked by the struggles of the present. This work explores the themes of hope and despair. How sometimes, the highs in life are completely overshadowed by the lows. The darkness in this image rids the totem pole of any detail, any individuality, rendering it as a mere silhouette. Despite this, the pole still stands tall, facing towards the light. No matter the darkness in life, we must continue to face forward, to look brightly into the future. The blackened pole
serves as a symbol of resilience in the face of hardships. While its rich details are completely obscured by the shadows, they still exist nonetheless. My inspiration for this work stems from the natural dissonance of Vancouver’s weather. It reminds me that no matter how dark the shadows may get, there will always be lightto look forward to.
Lucy Nie
Spiky
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A small hedgehog hides beneath the plastic bubble wrap, peeking out from between the pine cone, tree branches, and flowers. An old CD reflects its fuzzy chin. Notice the tiny flash of light in the hedgehog’s eye as its natural environment is being taken over by manmade materials. As you dive deep into this concealed world, change your perspective and consider how nature is entangled and wrapped in plastic. This is the first artwork collaboration I have done with my hedgehog, Gala. We hope you’ll think about your actions on the natural world around us because all creatures should be able to live in their unpolluted natural environments.
Maia Sankey-Lewin
Untitled
How do we understand the relationship between humans and horses? In this photo, midday sunlight streams through a barn door illuminating the distinctive white blaze on the horse’s face. Her coat is shiny with dapples on the shoulder and belly, indicating she is well fed. Human presence is symbolized by the bridle and reins. The horse’s face is calm and while her ears are obscured by the shadow, they appear upright, not flat, a sign she is comfortable in her surroundings. To the left of the horse is a stall door revealed through both shadow and light. The light highlights a set of iron bars evoking feelings of confinement and restraint. Light reflects off the metal, drawing the viewer’s attention to the symmetrical monotony of the bars. Behind the horse, the rest of the barn remains in mysterious darkness except for the faint image of a grey horse poking his head out from his stall. This photo shows the beauty of the horse, juxtaposed with the iron bars of the stall. The use of shadow and light reveal the ambiguities in the human-horse relationship and invite the viewer to consider the complexities of the human-horse relationship in terms of confinement and care, control, and trust.
Mark Zhuang
Finding Light in the Dark
In my photo, I aim to capture feelings and connections using light and darkness. The picture
shows a person surrounded by colorful lights against a dark background. I’m inspired by how light and dark
contrast with each other. The dark backdrop makes the colorful lights stand out, showing the beauty of
opposites. Through this photo, I want to share a simple message: no matter how tough life gets, there’s always something beautiful to find. It’s about seeing hope even in the darkest moments. Ultimately, this photo is a reminder that we can overcome anything and find beauty in unexpected places.
Nathan Lin
a shard of longing regret
For the past year I have been questioning myself. To what extent am I determined by my past,
family, media, and society? I have been forced to question my friends, family, values, culture, and how they all influence me as I struggle with what is right and wrong. The contrast between conscious and unconscious thoughts is similar to the theme Light and Shadow, with light representing conscious thoughts we are aware of, and shadow representing unconscious thoughts shaped by experiences that we only notice after they leave their mark on us. My work is a reflection of my desire for viewers to question their own thoughts, evoking these same feelings I’m questioning as I explore my deep subconscious. The feeling of walking through life blindly, only seeing the right and wrongs of your choices after you have made them. The suffocating loneliness of realizing your pain is unique to you alone, and nobody can truly understand your thoughts no
matter how hard they try.
Nicholas Dimitrijevic
Ruby Moments
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Life sometimes seems to stand still, allowing you to save every second of a special moment. Before you know it, it’s over, and time moves on as if it never happened, but that moment lives on within you as long as you let it. The beauty of photography is capturing these special moments to relive them and
share them with the ones you care about. Using soft and dreamy yet also intense and passionate red light,
I attempted to capture a moment in time. It is said that the eyes are a gateway to the soul, which is why I chose that to be the subject of my photo. If you look closely, you can nearly read her mind simply by inspecting her eyes. A singular light source demonstrates how everything at that moment is connected, and the use of red symbolizes passion. Specifically, the passion to experience more life-altering moments. I attempted to achieve similar emotions to the ones in Nan Goldin’s work, but closer, like you’re looking through someone’s eyes at their memories.
Nora Lu
Ephemeral Elegance
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My work extends beyond the quiet corner of a library; it is a setting where light and shadow
converse with time, classical meets contemporary, and the radiance of life is witnessed. Each melded
moment of light and shadow heralds the beginning of a complete story. The mottled play of light and shadow, untouchable but when the Tyndall effect grants light a shape, shadows acquire a soul. With this project, I hope to awaken a new appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us. In the hustle of life, my aspiration is that through my photography, people will pause to notice those romantic moments shaped by light and shadow, often overlooked yet ever-present. Photography is the magic that allows us to discover life’s wonders
in passing, to feel the warmth of light, and to embrace the storied shadows.
Ophelia Liu
Liminal
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Liminal spaces are the passageway in between two other spaces. This is why they often look unsettling, they may be someplace we remember from when we were younger or more often, a strangely empty looking space. To me, liminal spaces are a metaphor for making progress in life. Often, it’s not the end goal that scares us, it’s the effort, the time in between. That time period can make us feel strange, suspended in limbo and isolated sometimes without others to help us. We want to stop as soon as possible or rush, because it just doesn’t feel quite right. Sometimes it’s all about remembering that others you’ve known have gone through the same feeling and are willing to listen to you explain the strange situation.
Pilgyu Jang
Running Downstairs
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One of the moments in my life when I feel light and shadow is when I leave the house. I recognize
my shadow when I step outside and see my shadow cast by the sunlight. This photo is about the excitement of leaving the house. The excited girl’s expression and the backlighting emphasize her excitement of walking down the stairs and out the door.
Pilhwan Jang
You are my sunshine
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I wanted to prove that even the parts of the world around us that we do not pay much attention to, can be beautiful when a specific angle of light and shadow is applied. I wanted to emphasize the colour of the sky contrasted against the concrete of the building, which contains straight lines and textures that are
difficult to see in nature. The composition of the statically divided sky and structure gives me satisfaction.
Ryan Wood
Dawn to Dusk
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On Wednesday, March 13th, I ventured out at 6 a.m., eager to capture the eerie glow of an abandoned
graffiti-covered building at sunrise. However, my timing was off, and the sun had already ascended
over the rocky shoreline upon my arrival. Disheartened, I set up my tripod, but the resulting photos felt mundane. Determined to redeem the day, I returned that evening, only to realize I had left my tripod at the beach earlier that morning. Rushing back, I found it untouched, exactly where I’d left it. Seizing the moment, I quickly set up my camera and captured a mesmerizing image bathed in the golden hues of sunset. When juxtaposing the morning and evening images side by side, I was met with an unforeseen beauty — a surreal contrast of light that infused the familiar landscape of Tower Beach with an ethereal glow. The left side of the image is the light of dawn while the right side of the image is the light of the sunset. In this merging of dawn and dusk, I discovered a harmonious symphony of light, illuminating the inherent beauty hidden within the passage of time.
Sam Wright
Identity
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When I’m taking a photograph, I like it to be unstaged, capturing the subject’s true self. However,
oftentimes more than not, we put on facades to hide our true identities in public, myself included. I personally have struggled with being comfortable being myself. My personal experience of coming to a new school, where I constantly felt like I stood out, motivated me to create an image emphasizing that everyone has their own unique identity and they should celebrate not seamlessly blending into “the crowd.” Identity may seem like a basic title and irrelevant to the photo, but the title illustrates that people everywhere are different and have their own identities. My hope is that people who feel like me are inspired to show their true selves and shine, instead of feeling the need to put on a facade and blend in with the crowd.
Sean Kim
Journey
This image shows my athletic journey, characterized by frequent travel outside of Canada, which is often challenging. Traveling and consistently performing well is not an easy feat. There are times when I don’t meet my expectations, and things don’t unfold as planned. However, at the end of the day, I always return home. Reflecting on my experiences while in flight provides a personal space for relaxation
and contemplation.
Sean Wang
Respite
Many people live their lives in a state of constant stress and work, including me. That’s just how
the pointless rat race we call life works. Obviously, most people would rather not have to get up to go to work or school every morning. Considering the alternative is starving to death or being shunned by society as useless, I don’t think people really have a choice. This brings us to why I like the nighttime and, subsequently, the dark. Where the world goes dark and the light doesn’t reach, sheltered from the spotlight of society, it gives us weary souls a place to rest. A respite if you will. Special thanks to my friend Ruys Dycavinu for being the model for the photo
Shiyu Ma
Untitled
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My inspiration comes from the emotions we feel when we look into each other’s eyes. I believe
the eyes are the most expressive way we share emotions, they are like a mirror that can reflect feelings. Eyes soften in love, harden in anger, widen in fear, narrow in suspicion, glaze in boredom and weep in sadness, they link us together as people. I hope that viewers who look at this artwork can read the emotions of the
subjects through their eyes and understand their feelings. Eyes are the window of the soul, they reveal a lot of things, a person’s mood, a person’s story. Although everyone’s eyes are different and unique, they express emotions we all share, regardless of our differences.
Siliang Qin
Fountain Under Moonlight
In the nocturnal embrace of darkness, my lens becomes a storyteller of contrasts, capturing
the silent dialogue between shadow and light. Against the velvety backdrop of night, a fountain emerges as a beacon, its cascading waters transformed into ethereal ribbons by the moon’s gentle glow. In this captured moment, shadows stretch and twist, dancing in harmony with the luminescent reflections, painting an enigmatic canvas of mystery and allure. Through the lens of darkness, the ordinary transcends into the
extraordinary, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the poetic whispers of the night and to contemplate the profound beauty that emerges when light and shadow converge.
Stella Ren
A New Start
I would like to inspire people through this photo. I’m a high school student who studies in Vancouver as an international student. We often face setbacks, and we think they’re hard to overcome. But as you overcome it, you will not think it’s a big deal. People often stand in the dark when they are in trouble. We should try to look up and see the light. I got this idea from my personal experience, which is that once I was frustrated by a thing for a long time, but after I could stand on the opposite side and rethink the whole thing, my mind opened up suddenly.
Ted Lei
Graffiti commercial​
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My photograph is of a wall with graffiti and a single billboard advertisement. While walking around
town, I was struck by the wall’s beauty and began to think about how art, where you least expect it, can create emotions and thoughts. The colorful graffiti, filled with energy and emotion, overshadows the billboards’ attempt to garner the attention of people as they pass by, demanding the attention of my lens to capture how art can not only express emotion far more effectively but also catch people’s eye more effectively than normal advertisements. I hope my image inspires you to look for art in unexpected places and to consider the ideas and emotions art evokes. I hope you pass this on to others.
Vita He
Life
Life in the forest is splendid. While new lives are born, others die. While some trees thrive, others
wilt. Life and death are symbolized perfectly in light and shadow. Life means light, and death means shadow. They are a big part of the life cycle. Drawing inspiration from the forest near my home and the creative techniques artists use to incorporate the play of light and shadow, my photo explores the life cycle of nature. A tender bud reaches skyward, bathed in sunlight, while the background fades into darkness, symbolizing
the essential role of life and death in the forest.
Will Gordon
Yves
My photograph of Yves Tumor at one of their concerts delves into the interplay of shadow and
light, not just as a visual element but as a metaphor for the complexities of human experience. In this image, Yves Tumor is illuminated by the dark red lights behind them, casting dramatic shadows that underscore the intensity and passion of their performance.
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Xinlu Meng
Untitled
This image depicts a person’s heart. Everywhere is dark in this heart, yet a fire still burns, a beam of light growing bigger and bigger. A light that will ultimately make the whole heart bright. No matter how hard one tries to suppress the fire that glows deep inside the heart, the burning embers cannot be extinguished. Since the beginning of time, no one can stop the light of our heart’s desires from shining.
Zoe Holmes
The World Beyond
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I believe that photography is a way to share your innermost thoughts. I wanted to share a big part of myself through this photo. I believe every book you read is a gateway to another person’s mind. By reading books, you can experience others’ minds and leave yours behind. Escaping into the worlds of others enables you to experience the world differently and have a different perception of reality. I wanted to encapsulate that entire universes can be held in the palm of your hand in the form of a book.
