Photo by Duy H.

It has been an absolute delight to teach Duy this past quarter, and to watch both him and his photographic skills grow so quickly. He entered my Beginning Black & White Photography class as a fairly shy and quiet kid with little prior photo experience. Just a few weeks later, with the quarter coming to a close, he has become a lot more comfortable in his skin, and, with a very fun and boisterous presence, he is a prominent component to the wonderful community of students, mentors and teacher we have in our class. On top of all that, I am blown away by the creativity and execution of his artwork, not to mention jealous! Everything about this photo of his young cousin —from the concept, to the shooting, to the printing in the darkroom—was executed flawlessly. I'm very pleased that Duy will be continuing on to the Intermediate Black & White class this Fall.

– Sam Smith, YIF teacher


You can barely notice any details by a simple glimpse. That's why I believe a photograph allows you to actually see what you’re looking at. In that time, you would start to notice the meaning of the photo and also identify more things than you normally would. This photo shows a little girl sitting on top of a television set. The feeling is very uncomfortable and creepy, but this photo indicates comfort. Her posture shows that she’s at ease and by the look of her face, her smirk just brings life to the photo. Be comfortable at anywhere you may be, whether it be a fantasy or nightmare.

– Duy H.

Prints of student work are available for sale via Imagekind. There you will find several more galleries of student work in addition to the pieces featured on this page. When you visit, note that images can be printed in different sizes and can be ordered unframed or framed with one of many options. The student photographer receives a portion of the sale price. Please click here.

When asked how he came to Youth in Focus as a volunteer mentor, David Lindes said it all started after he watched the 2004 Academy Award winner for Documentary Feature, Born into Brothels—a film about a group of children in Calcutta who were given cameras so they could learn photography and potentially improve their lives."I was inspired by the idea of helping people communicate, explore, and experience their world through photography," he remembers. In late 2006, he contacted YIF and, since then, has been working four to six hours per week as a program mentor.

David is so committed to our students' work that, when he found out we were unable to run a full schedule of classes during the Spring quarter, he decided to embark on a grassroots effort to raise funds for YIF. He felt that the reduced schedule meant a loss of continuity for our program. From his mentoring experience, he knew that the students needed to have a sense of stability and progression through classes, in order to keep learning and gain greater confidence in their work and themselves.

First, David talked to his friends about donating to YIF, and managed to round up a few hundred dollars. Then, he came up with a more coordinated plan: to put aside 10 percent of his income as charitable donation. "I'm not a religious person," he noted, "but I got the idea of tithing, in order to support the causes I care about most." David says Youth in Focus is the first of potentially many organizations to which he'll donate.

Since he cares deeply about our students and our program, David wants to ensure that we're able to run a full schedule of classes this Fall. He has offered to make a generous gift of $5,000, as long as we match that amount through other donations. Will you help us make that happen?

PIZZA & PHOTOGRAPHY

Visit Tutta Bella in Columbia City
Advanced B&W Techniques
Summer End of Quarter Exhibit
ESCAPE from reality...
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria
Columbia City
4918 Rainier Ave. South, Seattle, 98118
tuttabellapizza.com


BOWLATHON 2009!

Roll the ball, hear the thunder, make the moolah!
This year's bowlathon fundraiser will be Oct 24, noon-5pm at AMF Imperial Lanes. Save the date! Our goal is to raise at least $10,000. This year's theme: Be Your Own Superhero! Invent the superhero you've always wanted to be and come costumed accordingly. It's not too early to start building your team of five people! More details soon; for more information now contact Jessica at jessicag@youthinfocus.org.

Beginning Basic B&W/Intermediate B&W/Beginning Digital
Summer End of Quarter Exhibit
Youth in Focus Gallery
2100 24th Ave. S., Suite 310, Seattle, 98144
On exhibit August 27 – November 20, 2009

Advanced Digital Techniques sponsored by Adobe Youth Voices
Summer End of Quarter Exhibit
FEAR
Triangle Art Gallery, Downtown Seattle YMCA
909 4th Ave., Seattle, 98104
On exhibit September 1–30, 2009