Grounded in Creative Practice

About the Photographers

• Lauren Cho

  Lauren Cho, 16, is a Korean American photographer from Koreatown, Los Angeles. Through her experience with Las Fotos Project—from the Digital Promotoras class to advancing to Creative Entrepreneurship Opportunities and currently in Esta Soy Yo—Lauren does more than just capture moments; she brings stories that are often hidden between the lines to life. She joined Las Fotos Project in the fall of 2022 with a desire to learn photography to express the many aspects of her identity. She comes from many different cultures, places and experiences. From the busy streets of Koreatown to the structured corridors of Pasadena to vibrant Boyle Heights, Lauren captures the rich diversity and connection between each experience that paints her life. Rather than seeing them as disparate themes, Lauren embraces her lived experiences and brings them together as part of her multifaceted identity. She wants to keep representing herself through her photos as a window into who she is. 

• Wendy Cubillo

  In making statements through photography and journalism, Wendy Cubillo, 20, tells stories related to identity, culture and pride. Born in East Los Angeles, she is a live music, event and studio photographer who often combines the three to highlight self-expression. Wendy created a print and online platform named Eonagapi that showcases local community creatives from music, fashion, art and storytelling. She was the recipient of the Youth Catalyst Award by Las Fotos Project and the City of Los Angeles for actively disrupting mainstream media. Wendy strives to push the boundaries of photography by focusing on small details, culture and complex emotions. 

• MaryJane Joya

  MaryJane Joya, 16, is based in South Central, Los Angeles. MaryJane primarily focuses on special events but is most comfortable with studio portraiture. MaryJane has done many different types of gigs this year. Two of their most notable gigs were a wedding in Bel Air and concert photography for The Ford. They are heavily inspired by their family and Las Fotos Project mentors and appreciate all forms of photography niches. This semester MaryJane has tried concerts, engagement, wedding and maternity photography. After graduation, they wish to study abroad majoring in photography and to run their own photography studio.

• Diana Martinez

  Diana Martínez, 18, is a Chicana photographer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, a city with such a diverse cultures, she has come to appreciate the unique individuality of people. Hoping to convey the beauty of cultural diversity, she reflects her appreciation through her photography, using her camera to capture the essence of individuals and their stories. 

• Vincent Rosado

  Vincent Rosado, 17, is a Chicano indigenous photographer and a junior in high school. He was born in Boyle Heights and has lived in Northeast L.A. his entire life. Vincent has always enjoyed taking Las Fotos Project classes. Over time, the classes helped him define and shape who he is now as a person. He loves to express his thoughts and feelings through his art and receive feedback from other artists.

• Gabrielle Biasi

  Gabrielle is a first-generation Argentine American artist, educator and archivist. She received her B.A. in art from UCLA in 2018 and is currently pursuing a Master of Library and Information Studies to bridge her interests of art, community and archives together. She has been a mentor and teaching artist at various art organizations around Southern California, including Venice Arts, Las Fotos Project and Spectrum Collaborative.

• Danielle Del Rosario

  Platform shoes and tote bag on, film camera and chapstick at the ready, you have just spotted Los Angeles based artist Danielle Del Rosario. Born in the Philippines and raised in East Hollywood, Danielle, 25, is fueled by her passion for art education, photographic storytelling and community activism. Danielle is inspired by her childhood recollection of seeing her mother carry around a Canon PowerShot and her father recording family memories on their Sony camcorder. Her work often focuses on documentation and re-imagining. Through mixed-media methods and photo making, Danielle is constantly examining the nuances of identity and what it means to be a Filipina American. Currently, she is involved in arts education for youth and believes in restorative justice to heal and uplift present and future generations.

• Lilith Carolina Ferreira

  Carolina is an artist and visual storyteller on Tongva Land. Born in Mexico and raised in East Hollywood, Carolina's passion for photography comes from genuinely believing everyone's story is important and realizing documentation is crucial to controlling the narrative that BIPOC folks want to share instead of the stories told for us. She believes that we are all complex mosaics made up of our lived experiences. With her photos she strives to highlight folks' emotions and make them feel as if they were present at events. Carolina approaches event, concert and portrait photography through a caring and documentary lens.

• Textli Gallegos

  Textli Gallegos, 24, is a Xicana Indigenous artist based in Los Angeles. Her main focus is photography and filmmaking. In sharing her own experiences with mental health and identity, her goal is to highlight stories that are not often told in mainstream media. She hopes that this will bring her community and those around her together. 

• Juli Perez

  Juli Perez is a South Central L.A. based nonbinary photojournalist, youth advocate and yogi working through decolonial, intersectional feminist and queer frameworks as well as juxtapositions of identity and culture to create and support works that highlight BIPOC narratives. Their primary intention is to visually document the joy that thrives within BIPOC communities, despite a world that often challenges their very existence. Drawing inspiration from their neighborhood, Leimert Park, the Salvadoran diaspora and their chosen family, Juli's work intersects Latinx-American history, gender and sexuality. Juli holds a B.A. in Chicana/o studies and a minor in Latin American and hemispheric studies from UC Davis.

• Mitzi Valenzuela

  Mitzi Valenzuela, 53, is a Southern California photographer who has been documenting the classic car world since 2004. Her work has been featured in several automotive publications worldwide. Mitzi enjoys recreating images of the past with classic pinup models and cars. One of her favorite destinations for photography is the Bonneville Salt Flats home to land speed racing.