How I See It — My Place
Glendale
[Back row, from left to right] Cheryl Capitani (Glendale Librarian/project manager), Angus Ritchie, Isabella Restrepo, Lesley Krane (photography instructor), Stephen Honrade, Annie Orudzhyan, Rita Hovsepian, Christina Asadourian [Front row, from left to right] Nikki Restrepo, Sevana Manukian, Jackie Uniza, Jasmine Uniza (Photo taken by Cheryl Capitani)
Nikki Restrepo trying different angles (Photo taken by Isabella Restrepo)
Rita Hovsepian playing with light and shadow (Photo taken by Annie Orudzhyan)
At podium, Director of Glendale Libraries Cindy Cleary. A portion of the exhibit can be seen at left. (Photo taken by Cheryl Capitani)
Behind the Scenes
Glendale has grown from a small suburb of Los Angeles into a thriving city in its own right. Officially incorporated in 1906, it boasts picturesque mountains and elegant historical landmarks astride modern urban developments and business centers. The third largest city in Los Angeles County, Glendale is home to a culturally diverse community of approximately 200,000, encompassing broad and diverse economic, racial, and ethnic strata. In the last few decades, Glendale's population has grown dramatically with the arrival of many thousands of immigrants, especially from Armenia, the Middle East, Korea, Mexico, and the Philippines. Currently over half of Glendale’s population is foreign-born, and 64% report speaking a language other than English at home. Glendale’s Armenian community is especially strong, with residents bringing traditions from Armenia, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and the former Soviet Union.
The ten participating teens worked extremely hard over the course of this 10-week program.. None of the students had any formal photography experience prior to this, but they were all really eager to learn, to try new things, and to share their unique perspectives on their “place” – whether that meant in Glendale, in their families, with their friends, in their homes – however they interpreted it to be. They dove into the creative aspect of photography, and really explored the medium, playing around with different styles, lighting, angles, and techniques. They absorbed all of the photography lessons, and learned to look at the world in a different way through the lens. . The artist statement component really made them reflect on their community and their personal experiences, and explore these concepts internally as well as physically with the camera. They also got to learn about local history and about putting together a professional art exhibition from two additional guest speakers.
Students getting used to photographing on day 1 of program.
(Photo taken by Cheryl Capitani)
In addition, this project was an incredible self-confidence builder. You could just tell that the students were impressed by what they had been able to do with the camera, and because of that, they pushed themselves to take better and better pictures. Their pride in their accomplishment was especially on display at the opening event, to which every single participant brought family and friends and teachers to show off their work. In turn, the community response to the exhibit was fantastic; everyone was impressed and inspired by the teens’ work.
Jasmine Uniza (with camera) and Jackie Uniza in window self-portrait
(Photo taken by Jasmine Uniza)
Another wonderful benefit of this program was how supportive of each other the students were. This was especially evident in the critique sessions, where students would give each other great feedback as we showed the photos to the class. Through the critique sessions, they also learned how to give and take criticism, and different methods to improve or rethink their images. They also gained technical knowledge using the cameras, Photoshop, online photo programs, and uploading and downloading files. Finally, one of the coolest things to see was how quickly the students developed their own style and way of telling their story through their photographs. Their personalities and visions shine through their pictures, and the result is honest and evident.
— Cheryl Capitani, Project Director
