PHOTOGRAPHY WORKS (2022)

Bentley Angeldekao

I’m 15 years old and I’m a sophomore at City Honors. I first gained an interest in photography when I was young and noticed how pictures are all around us and had a curiosity in the purpose they serve. What has always interested me in photography is the ability to convey non-visual things through visual means like emotions or ideas, capturing something larger than what is in the frame. Conversely, how the limits of the frame can bring on ideas to something. This series of photographs employs the limited dimension of frame to capture a larger scene.

Matthew Beebe

Photography may be the medium explored in this show, but outside of this, I pursue a wealth of other media as well. In my free time I paint both traditionally and digitally, create special effects and other forms of makeup art, play the guitar and sing, and have taught myself different forms of animation. These other artistic exploits helped inspire the show. In part, I am who I am as an artist
because of support, inspiration, and collaboration with my peers. If I were able to capture them as artists with my camera, perhaps more of the world would be able to appreciate their talent. I cherish all of the individuals featured here, and hope that shows through in this display.

Elliss Duplantis

I am 17 and attending Buffalo Academy For Visual And Performing Arts and if somebody asked me what family meant to me I’d say blood and war because for them I’d do anything. No matter how many times our Aunties, Uncles, Sisters, Brothers, Grandma’s and Grandpa’s fuss and fight we always forgive each other no matter how long it takes. We all came to a conclusion that we aren’t perfect and we never will be. We all have our fair share of mistakes and troubles but the pain is what seems to constantly bring us together. We sometimes bond with family over trauma and life experiences and in a sense it gives us hope and a reason to keep going knowing we are not alone. The cookouts, the family gatherings, the family trips we laugh we joke we bond and we have fun together but most importantly we be ourselves no matter who’s watching. The food, the culture, the love and the People are all a team because Family is Togetherness. FAMILY IS FOREVER!!

Antonio Hernandez

I am 18 years old. I graduated high school from the Buffalo School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, where I learned about culinary, baking, and hospitality practices, as well as photography. I have been interested in photography ever since I was about 8 or 9 years old and I picked up my first camera. I haven’t stopped taking photos since. I received my first real camera in 8th grade. With that Canon camera, I subsequently joined my high school’s yearbook club in my freshman year, which eventually landed me as the yearbook’s Chief Managing Editor and Photographer. I also helped to create and run my school’s social media pages during my junior year. From all the pictures I took at age 8, and the pictures I took when I volunteered my services as a Photographer and Videographer for places like church, my mom’s job, and my high school, I would say that my camera skills have gotten better over the years.
My senior year was probably the best year for me because that was when I got the most recognition, certificates and awards, and opportunities. My senior year was also the best because that is when I joined the CEPA Gallery, which is one of the most amazing things to have ever happened to me that year. I did not know a lot about cameras before, but now I’m more well-versed, all because of the CEPA Gallery. CEPA taught me how to edit my photographs, the processes in the darkroom, and even about the simplicity of a pinhole camera. Learning everything that I learned at the CEPA Gallery has been nothing short of incredible. Since graduating, what I plan to do next in the near future is to go to NCCC for Culinary and Baking, and then go to NU for Business and Hospitality and minor in Photography, and then get a Master’s Degree, to really hone all the skills I need for the future. My lifetime goal is to become a businessman and entrepreneur. I hope to assist myself in this goal by using the photography skills I have attained and will continue to improve upon, to make my own visual marketing so as to be self-sufficient.

Nolan LaFauve-Wallace

I’m 17 years old and going into senior year at City Honors. I’ve been doing photography for over a year now, and started through CEPA during the summer program. I decided to join because I have always wanted to take pictures of everything I see but my phone camera didn’t cut it for the type of photos I wanted to take. Using my camera I got from CEPA over the past year has been amazing. I’ve learned so many techniques from how to take photos to the editing of them afterwards. I even got my hands on using a film camera and developing film! Throughout my photography journey I’ve found an interest in taking architecture photos. I love finding unique angles to look at different structures and play with the lighting or focus on specific details in the architecture.

Nicole Mathews

I am 18 years old and I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. When I was about 9 years old, I was adopted by the most amazing woman in the world who had taken me in when I was about 2 and a half. She has been my biggest support in chasing my dream of becoming a photographer and continues to help me and has been the inspiration for some of my best pictures.

Firstly I would like to say that I never really have a plan when it comes to taking pictures. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack when it came to coming up with an actual “theme” for this project. But evidently I chose the theme of outside.

When I was looking over my pictures, I noticed that most of my better pictures were taken outside or in a moving vehicle. After taking time to reflect on that I figured out the reason why that was the case. The reason is that I am sporadic with most of my pictures. I never really go into a whole process while taking a picture. I just snap what I feel at the moment is worth seeing again later.

Furthermore, I developed an interest in photography about a year ago and haven’t stopped loving it since. I was introduced to photography by a school counselor who suggested that I go to a class that was happening here at CEPA last summer. I was not particularly interested at first but I almost instantly fell in love with it when I was shown the dark room. By the time the beginning of my senior year rolled around and I had made up in my mind that photography was the career I wanted to pursue and my love for it has only grown since then.

Patrick Sherrieb

I’m a sophomore at City Honors school. I heard about the CEPA Photography Works program in my art class and I knew I had to do it. I started my
photography interest in 7th grade and have enjoyed it ever since. My favorite part about photography is being able to capture moments and be able to look back at them. Most of my pictures are of the environment because of how naturally beautiful it is with all the life it contains. My pictures show the environment with the colorful leaves of fall, the beautiful forest with the sun glow, and a close up of some doves nesting in a tree. I have learned many things from my experience at CEPA and I am excited to continue my photography adventure with my new knowledge.

GyanWiggins

I am 16 years old and I got into photography from my mother who is an advisor photographer, very nurtured and experienced in taking pictures. When I was a young boy, I held a Nikon Camera as my first, and I loved taking photos since then.

I got into the photo class because my mom introduced me to it, I also wanted to hone my photo-taking skills. I learned numerous techniques and terminology from the class including shutter speed, ISO, lighting, and aperture. I also learned about venturing out into career fields with photography which could include taking pictures for a business or paper and even taking pictures for others as entrepreneurship! I found it very fascinating.

I chose these photos because it’s one of my favorite things to capture the environment and the world around us. As I took the photos, I could see the different textures and detail within the minuscule objects of the setting. The subjects in my photos such as the many plants and inhabiting creatures are very fascinating and have a contrast of lighting and darkness in each. Another thing I favored was how each of the photos had very little editing embedded into the photo. I believe too much editing into my photos can take away from the soul of the subject and the surrounding space. That’s the reason I try to retake photos and excessively many photos are in my camera, to begin with. Nonetheless, I am extremely proud of my prowess in photography!