Freestyle Academy Class of 2023
This flower shop is located on the Mission, and is a small business run by a young girl. This is a posterized version of a picture I took of her shop during my visit. The owner seemed so content with her life. As customers came and went, she made an effort to engage with every single one. This woman, and her shop, represent freedom to me.
When you think of aging, what do you think of? Usually question is answered with “getting old” referring to humans. What we don’t think of is how the world around us is aging too. It’s getting just as old as we are, changing constantly.
This photo was taken on a San Francisco skyline with my dad. Because this photo was taken after dark, I used the light from the city to create a blackened shadow effect on my subject that I think came out really nicely.
New beginnings means to start fresh- clean. Rain has always made me think of new beginnings because the rain washes away any impurities around me. Circular Patterns are the inspiration for this photograph. This picture is a reflection of the rearview mirrors on my car. The water droplets create hundreds of tiny circles. While taking this photo, it was pitch black outside. When a car began to drive in my direction, it’s headlights merged in one perfect circle in the mirror. This highlights circular patterns perfectly.
To edit this picture, I played with the curves slightly, but the main edits come from the individual colors. I turned down the saturation in every color except for yellow, brining emphasis to the large circle in the middle. “Clean Slate” is part of my Rain Collection.
This photo was taken at the Shoreline golf range which has always been a landmark in Mountain View. I grew up going here with my friends all the time. I was there golfing with some friends and with the lighting was just right with the sunset in the background. I edited this photo using the brush tool and the curves adjustment.
This photo I took of my sister shows love in an infinite amount of ways. The main reason of course, is that I love her with my entire heart and more. True love stays through arguments and hardships, and even though Xochi gets on my nerves and drives me crazy, she is the best little sister I could ask for. She’s an amazing person and incredibly beautiful. She’s generous and kind to every person she meets. She is loved by everyone who is so fortunate to speak to her. My sister has the brightest soul of anyone i’ve ever met and I love her.
I took this picture of my best friend while we were in Hawaii, a trip that changed my life. Before this year, I never really felt like I was wanted or belonged anywhere. I never felt like I had a purpose in the world around me. This trip bonded me and my friend for life- since then we have become inseparable. On this trip, she convinced me to transfer schools to the one she was at. I was skeptical but after a lot of convincing I gave in. I transferred schools at the beginning of my Junior year, and there I met my best friends. I’m now surrounded by some of the best people you can meet, and i’ve felt loved and wanted every day. I finally feel like I have a presence on this Earth and a purpose to live. I’m so thankful every day for this girl and my incredible friends who have become my family.
This self portrait reflects how I felt in my adolescence. Everything bright and shiny caught my eye and I felt so drawn to light. The ball of light represents the purity of a child and how they see everything with more vibrance.