My name is Paloma L. I am from Seattle, Washington, and I live in Rainier Beach.

I have taken at least 10 Youth in Focus classes and one summer at the Cornish Darkroom program. Outside of this, my photography knowledge comes from years of experience and personal image preferences.

I do lots of different kinds of photography, but the darkroom is my passion. I love to create unique-looking images with different darkroom techniques, such as photo inside photo and cutting out words and shapes. I was brought to this art form through a love of art and film, particularly an interest in home videos recorded by my father that documented the bright moments of my childhood.

A lot of my art is inspired by the world I see around me. Beautiful moments that would otherwise be overlooked. I am not really a photoshoot enthusiast, but I would like to explore that side of photography at some point.

I am in the yearbook class at our school as well as the school newspaper, where I am a design editor and a photographer. I have been featured in a photography showcase at Cornish College. I have also been spotlighted on our school’s yearbook Instagram page and the Youth in Focus Instagram page.

My final piece features three images of my sister, Ruby, standing in a bright hallway in three different poses, each with its own dramatic influence. These pictures were taken at Columbia City’s Empire Roasters & Records. I’m sure my sister has gotten sick of my constant requests for her to pose for pictures, but many of my final images have been of her because she is my muse. The title of my work is "Movie in the Hallway," because these images remind me of motion picture films, where images are taken one after another and put together to create a sort of movie. This is why I chose these pictures to be showcased together. Because separately they are beautiful, but when they are put together, it is all the more cinematic.

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My name is Paloma L., I live in Seattle, Washington and I am 16 years old. My final image is entitled 'lucky charms' and it portrays my sisters, Ruby and Angel, in our local Safeway. They are both holding a box of lucky charms which is our go-to breakfast every time we hang out. Ruby and Angel are both leaving for college this year and my final image helps to commemorate our time together. I only really got to know Angel this year but our friendship has meant so much to me and I am so excited for her and her UW era. I am so thankful to my sister and my mom for introducing me to Youth In Focus and for guiding me in my artistic, academic, and social life. Words cannot express the love, respect, and admiration I have for my sister and I know she will find success and excitement at Pratt institute in New York. In the future, I plan on taking many more YIF classes, I plan to continue being involved in their professional development paid internship program, and I plan on experimenting with many different mediums involving photography.

My image, entitled “진나는 한복 입습니다 [Jinnah wears Hanbok]” depicts my sister, Ruby, putting on lipstick in the mirror while in her traditional Korean dress (which is called a Hanbok).

This artwork was inspired by my culture and my family. It is also inspired by my sister who encourages me to be my most authentic and artistic self every day. A lot of my photography features her at the center. She is a big part of my life so it is only natural for that to reflect in my artwork.

That powerful feeling that you get when you put on a beautiful outfit and some dazzling makeup is what I was trying to capture. That moment when you feel like everything around you fades and you are in the spotlight. That is the feeling you are witnessing. The message I am trying to communicate is that art comes from life, inspiration comes from life, and I am proud of my family and my culture.