WOMEN IN PHOTO

@ameriky

Photographs are revelations offering themselves to us in a display of supernatural stillness. Every photograph contains a contemplation of time and memory allowing aliveness to emerge just beyond a motionless surface. Here you can look at what cannot be touched -- Moments that slipped away, unable to be possessed even by the lens that captured them. There's nothing required of you, the observer other than to see.

@sarahguarinophotography

My name is Sarah Guarino, and I have been doing concert photography for several years now independently. For a while, it was just something fun to do that wasn’t photographing families, or weddings, and now it has truly turned into a passion of capturing photos that detail the passion and emotion in the moment of expression. When I photograph an artist, I don’t just point and shoot. I want to know the song, and know the moment behind it. I want to freeze that emotion and power of the chorus and exhibit it in a photo forever!

@cyanezzz

"This project examines the contradictory nature of beauty magazines and their proposed ideas of beauty. As someone who suffered from self image issues since adolescence, I combine traditional photography methods, where editorial photography began, and magazine quotes to convey the contradicting statements made in the publications: stating to expand our ideas of beauty, yet portray the cookie cutter pattern of young, slim, tall, and mostly white women with flawless skin."

@princess_calamity

The work is an expression and an investigation of what feels like a return to girlhood and a second puberty. As I have approached my late twenties, my body has once again started changing significantly, catapulting me back to a space of rediscovery of who I am and will be, while holding memories of what it was first like to experience vast change amongst the landscape of my flesh as a girl. Though the artwork doesn’t depict bodies or parts explicitly, I aim to rather illustrate through lush collage what these changes feel like, wandering through the desert, seeing mirages that look familiar and strange at once, searching, but more so simply walking through the valley of change once again.

@kweenshooter

The work I submitted were moments I captured at different car meets. Which were pictures of Lowriders, Slabs, and old school cars.

@alexej_photo

These pieces are a reflection of my experiences as a woman who has struggled with mental illness, domestic abuse, sexual assault, and the light I have found and created in between these moments. “Home” has always been something that escaped my grasp, and my art is a safe place I have created for myself and for others.

@mjrdzx

I’m Mariah Rodriguez, a Houston based and self taught artist. Less than a year ago I decided I’d start documenting my everyday life as a tribute to my past. I began carrying my camera around to share moments that make life fulfilling. My work highlights simple moments that carry beauty, significance, power, and most importantly love. As a photographer, I use my photos as an outlet to share my vulnerability and connect. I hope to continue connecting with others over everyday moments in our lives that we find beautiful.

Description of submitted work:
For months I’d spend hours talking to one of my dearest friends about how deeply mesmerizing the sky is in Mexico. These stories reminded me of the times my grandma would share glimpses of her childhood with me. I remember thinking “I hope I’ll be able to experience this myself.” Now 25, I found myself touched by Huala’s simplicity and beauty.

I spent my time in Hualahuises soaking up the sun, driving towards the mountains, and watching people dance with their loved ones. I haven’t felt this kind of love and warmth in a while and I knew I had to document my time there. I share intimate moments from my trip like the shared silence dedicated to loved ones who are no longer here, early mornings hanging laundry up to dry, and parts of my favorite drive to the river.

@Brittg_

Brittany is a native Texan who fell in love with street and urban photography at a young age. Every day is another chance to challenge herself, push creative boundaries and step out of her comfort zone. She’s excited to connect with like-minded people, discover new techniques and collaborate on projects.
When she’s not shooting her shots Brittany can be found taking weekend trips in search of the strange or buying her cat more toys he doesn’t need.

The Human Condition

As an Urban Photographer my goal in these particular pieces is immortalizing the human condition. Could we blame it on human nature or lack of self-awareness that when we go about our daily routines we are blissfully unaware and so absorbed in our own lives we ignore or overlook the disposition of others? I hope these moments inspire reflection and consideration of the humanity of others.

Chasing the Light

When Downtown Houston’s myriad of concrete giants are introduced to sunlight through out the day they impress onto their environment complex geometric and symmetrical shapes. And One can’t help but wonder if casting intricate shadows and reflecting light was partially their Creators’ purpose.

“Symmetry & Shadows 1” shot on Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, EF 50mm ISO 800 f/5.6
1/2500 sec, B&W
Afternoon, direct sunlight against a Neo-Gothic building makes for strong symmetrical shadows.

“Symmetry & Shadows 2” shot on Canon EOS Digital XTi, EF 50mm ISO 800 f/4.5 1/4000
sec, B&W
In the afternoon sun, two buildings side by side in the forefront cast geometrical shadows as a jet
plane, in the background, trails a long vapor cloud.

@natashabermuda

Natasha’s work is a mixture of stylized portraits and candid street photographs. In each photo I try to depict a feeling of what I like to call "cinematic nostalgia". Almost as if you've seen it or felt it before, but under a completely new, and dreamy lens.

My name is Natasha Bermudez (Bermuda)
I am a first-gen Latina artist from Houston, Texas.

I would describe my style as “cinematic nostalgia”. I try to depict a feeling of familiarity andcomfort under a daydreamy, theatrical lens. I am constantly romanticizing the past, and my work speaks to that.
My work is a mixture of narrative pieces, and candid sceneries. My goal is to inspire and to create a more romantic reality.

Love Deserves an Answer, 2019
Houston, Texas
Film Photography
120mm

End of Summer, 2022
Austin, Texas
Film Photography
35mm

Three of Wands, 2017
Salinas, Ecuador
Digital Photography

I Miss You, 2020
Denver, Colorado
Digital Photography

@ka.therine

All works are shot on 35mm film, either in Los Angeles, California, Dallas, or Houston, Texas: All locations in which I reside. My subjects are always friends and my intention with all of my work is to paint my subjects in an empowering light. I wish to portray them as otherworldly, celestial beings amongst a seemingly mundane atmosphere. I use black and white and color in similar frequency. However, on the occasion that I do use color, I focus heavily on prominent reds, greens, and blues to pay homage to my influences from childhood, which include Soviet-era and Bollywood films.

@cocotheshooter

Courtney Dennis, also known as CoCo the Shooter, is a digital and film photographer
based in Houston, Texas. Starting a photography journey in 2012, CoCo specializes in portrait and street photography with the goal to create art that captures people in their element, their personality, and the city movement that has been an inspiration; along with the intent to bring light to all parts of everyday life.

@yichin.lee

This is a photo story of Lung Sing BBQ closing back in 2017. The Woo family had been operating the BBQ and supermarket since the late 1980s. Located in the Old Chinatown, which is the hustle and bustle EaDo now, Lung Sing had been dubbed the best Chinese BBQ in Houston. It was one of the last couple original Chinese businesses in the area when it closed the doors.

This story was tied with the Old Chinatown history and I-45 expansion project: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Houston-original-Chinatown-to-disappear-I-45-17349913.php

@sal.mabowan.ya

memorias de mis putos tristes
an ode to the #sadboysofhouston

memorias de mis putos tristes by sal.ma bowan.ya is a series of boudoir-style portraits that captures the softer side of masculinity. the project aims to celebrate the diversity of men in the houston area, and serves to address the important but often ignored subject of body confidence in men.

a total of 39 men from the houston area participated in the project. they were invited to redefine what masculinity meant to them and to find strength in softness. most of the male subjects were found on tinder and instagram, strangers who had never done a photoshoot before. these photographs capture the first encounter between the subject and the photographer, a moment requiring trust and vulnerability for both parties. the images featured in memorias de mis putos tristes center the viewers’ gaze on the male body in an ethereal setting that contrasts the harshness with which men are usually portrayed, and subverts the popular #sadboy meme. this hashtag, commonly used to describe men who are expressing their emotions, has a historically negative connotation and reinforces the viewpoint of emotionality as a weakness. memorias de mis putos tristes works to redefine the term #sadboy in a positive light.

check out the project archive @memoriasdemisputostristes


sal.ma bowan.ya is a houston based artist whose works mainly explore the relationship between identity and corporeality.

@soozieee

Faltan 43, August 2018
Ciudad de México, México
Digital Photography

On September 26, 2014, 43 male students were abducted and disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero. News about the students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College spread internationally. While Mexican nationals have largely normalized government corruption, police brutality, and interference by drug cartels for decades, this violation of human rights was different. Mothers of the male students protested for months– and abroad–demanding transparency and justice for their children. This photograph was taken four years after the abductions in Mexico City. It’s a testament to the importance of keeping memory alive and that the demands for social justice cannot be silenced overtime.


Por Ellas, January 2020
Ciudad de Oaxaca, México
Film Photography

In recent years, Oaxaca City has attracted international tourism because it is a famed cultural arts center. This street intervention, which includes a photograph, floral installation, and inscription, intends to highlight femicide in Mexico for all those who visit to understand about the lived experiences of women living in the country.


Hogar Seguro, April 2017
Antigua, Guatemala
Digital Photography

A group of young girls attempted to escape an orphanage in protest against sexual, physical, and emotional abuse experienced at the orphanage. Police officers, sent by then President Jimmy Morales, locked the girls in a classroom as punishment overnight. The youth lit a mattress on fire to pressure the officers to no longer hold them captive, but the officers allowed the fire to go on for hours, leading to the deaths of many girls. This incident sparked national outrage in a nation committed to child and youth rights, particularly about violence against girls in Guatemala. The incident also sparked conversation about negligence within public authorities and institutions. Statements like the one photographed were displayed all over homes and businesses in Antigua during Semana Santa. Protestors did not want to cover up the national outrage for its international visitors.

Las Juntas de Buen Gobierno, December 2013
Caracol IV Morelia, Chiapas, México
Digital Photography

In the winter of 2013, ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Zapatista uprising, La Escuelita was created to welcome international guests to learn from the autonomous communities near San Cristobal de las Casa, Chiapas. Guests lived with families and completed everyday tasks together to connect theory to practice and reimagine dignified living.

Caravana 43, April 2015
Manhattan, New York
Digital Photography

Relatives of the 43 disappeared Mexican students toured the United States to raise awareness of the events that took place in Iguala. Known as the Caravana 43, the tour consisted of parents, students, and advocates. They covered a total of 43 cities over 19 states. Pictured here is their final march from Washington Square Park to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

@natashashotme

My motivation for making art comes from a desire to reflect on myself and my past experiences. I grew up in the Catholic Church, and I wanted the opportunity to use my years of knowledge in my present life by analyzing and reflecting, without pressure to represent Catholicism in any particular way. Catholiccore represents a collision of my past and my present life. The goal is to analyze how current pop culture takes inspiration from Catholicism in areas such as fashion, entertainment, and social media.

Can the aesthetic be separated from the religion, and if so, then to what extent? The foundation of my series is portraiture — which varies from studio to environmental — of iconography that has been repurposed as trends. The Church has many different aspects of its culture. The addition of photographing architecture and still life is a quieter visual representation to show a greater range to the aesthetic of Catholicism than simply people.

The inspiration for this series came from the amalgamation of images seen while searching the term “Catholiccore” on social media platforms such as Pinterest and Tumblr. The connection between the images is fragile, yet strong enough to communicate the narrative of Catholicism. Whether this is a positive or negative collection is up to the viewer.

@heyjude_itsartsy

I submitted mostly nature, sunset photos. As someone who is constantly in motion and in action towards healing. Nature has become my escape, I truly belive the sun heals and recharges my soul. From the early sunrises to the, warmth of a sunset after a long day of work. In the era of mindless scrolling, or scrolling to distract our minds I deeply feel what we need is to reconnect with mother earth and allow her to heal the wouds the mundain world has created in us.

@michella_photo

I have been a photographer for more than 20 years. In creating my works, I look for meaning in simple things and find that ordinary objects or settings can translate into striking images by merely changing perspective. The work I am submitting includes a variety of photographs from the past 7 years, including black and white, portraits, macro, and selections from my photo series “The Window Project 2021”.

Title: Triple OG

My photography is a mixture of black and white as well as color. Mainly candid shots and street photography taken with a Google Pixel. This photo was taken in 5th Ward of my dear friend Vickie Brown. She is the third generation living in her childhood home built over 100 years ago.

@faith.wisner

“Overgrown” is a project I started 2 weeks before the end of my final semester in college. I used this final project to challenge myself to get back to photography techniques I learned 5 years ago in my first photography class in college.

I’ve never had the experience of moving because I’ve lived in this house on this street for 22 years. This house has grown with me for 22 years and I have grown with it. It’s bittersweet in a way. This property will always be a part of me but, I’m not always going to be a part of it.

@yleigach

From public spaces to the privacy of their own bedroom, the need to perform for an invisible viewer has been ingrained in women. Don’t Call Me Pretty is a series that explores the internalized male gaze and how that can influence self-perception. The work uses recurring themes and colors in an attempt to portray a conflict within the subject as well as the series itself, showing the contradiction between wanting to be desired but not objectified.

@shadesofgreyhtx

I usually capture moments I get to share with loved ones who are either pictured or completely out of frame. Some of my work I capture with full intent on archiving what I experience. Other times something has been catching my eye for months and I’ll find a way to get a good photo of it.


This photo was taken on my daily commute to work. Just at the nearest intersection from where this shot was taken is the first house I remember growing up in. Ive lived in many places, some thousands of miles away since then.

@madmediatx

These moments I got to share with loved ones who are pictured or completely out of frame. Some of these pictures I captured with full intent on archiving what I was experiencing. Others were taken because I was in the right place at the right time.

@karen_warren_801

All shot on Iphone

@jkarnicki

Photos taken of places visited in Houston in 2022.

@the_yellowpoppy

Falling in love again

@synaptic.steph

Although Stephanie is Houston based these images were captured during her time outside of H-town. Both in 2022, these images were captured in Austin, TX and just outside NYC.

Unnamed, unknown, unidentified

@agave_bloom_photography

This is my daughter Frida. I admire her strength, confidence, independence and resilience. I decided to document her while on vacation at the mercado in the town where my parents were born. These images capture her beauty and power.

@egconley

Daily Houston. 2015-2020 Images taken on assignment as a staff photographer with the Houston Chronicle. From MLK day parade, to a rancher's daughter with her favorite cow.

@lunaincompleta

My subject matter is raw, almost never posed with a hint of color enhancement.

I switch between my DLSR, a film camera, and my phone to capture these still moments. Some are caught with intention, others in the spontaneous chance and movement of the moment. My goal is to capture the beauty and ambiance of these passing moments throughout my life. To bring appreciation and discovery of these every day passing moments in our lives, but truly seen by few.

Brief Description:
Collection of still, symmetric moments captures on DLSR, film, and phone.

@Kierajamison_

Kiera Jamison is a Houston based photographer, Inspired by futurism, Nostalgia 90s aesthetics. Her work is vibrant and playful while focusing on self-identity and vulnerability. In her recent project she explores with still life, distortion and fragmentation while challenging her own understanding on what it is like to be comfortable in your own skin.

“ Cyclops “

In this series I am experimenting and exploring distortion and fragmentation using self-portraiture to challenge my own understanding about being more comfortable in my skin. The use of color resonates with my own auric energy and what I feel drawn to in a specific moment. The vases act as transparent walls that bridge between my internal world and my external world. Water is mystical, and it reminds me to go with the flow. My inspiration stems from my son, spirituality, metaphysics and 90s music videos. I am drawn to vibrant whimsical aesthetics and these portraits depict a playful and performative way for me to see myself and my relationship to my external world in a multi-layered way.

@cielito.no.tan.lindo

In the fall of 2021, I embarked on a year-long travel fellowship awarded by Rice University’s Center for Civic Leadership. During the 365 days I was abroad, I spearheaded an investigative, experiential inquiry into the relationship between art, death, and the self. Titled “Memory, Mortality, and Material Creation,” the project departed from my Mexican upbringing and sought to explore global iterations of the visual and material culture around death. Through my culture’s constant and joyous engagements with mortality, I have come to understand how human efforts to grieve, adorn, and grapple with death speaks to how we choose to live, construct, and idealize life. I spent many hours in cemeteries and parallel spaces of memorialization observing and appreciating the ritualized meaning-making different cultures practice in order to re-body those who are absent. This series of photographs are a tiny glimpse into this experience.

@niseygal

Captures of fleeting moments of intimacy, contentment, and experiences

@filmmakingbyleslie

My photography depicts vivid landscapes representing different coasts across North America such as the Pacific Coast and Gulf Coast. The horse on the mountain was taken in Navajoland, also known as Navajo Nation, a Native American reservation. They are located across portions of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

@vintagesoulx3

"Real Icy"
Photo of Courtney Braford
Photographed by Jamie Rivers
January 2023

@dreakarolina

Andrea Karolina is a Peruvian American photographer based in Texas who specializes in studio and lifestyle photography. Her journey began in 2016 through lifestyle photography & journalism. In 2021, Andrea began to submerge herself in the art community of Houston and it transformed her expression and style. She now strives to create safe spaces of expression for people in the community and is committed to her personal growth as an artist.

@danielalaleon

Daniela León (b. 1996, Bolivia) is a visual artist whose work focuses on exploring the intimacy of human connections, as well as delving into her imaginary world. She experiments with different photographic processes to then intervene them with digital techniques.

Currently, she resides in Houston, Texas.

The pieces ranging from 01-10 are part of an ongoing series, Ya Estuvimos Aquí, which is a collection of photograms that capture the connection between my loved ones and I. Portraits of some of the participants are paired with their respective lumen print.

The other pieces (ranging from 11-14) are self-exploratory work where I inspect my own body, memory, and emotions combining digital and analog mediums.

@aylinsaturn

With my work, I like to use lighting and colors to create a moodiness. I always look for ways to use high amounts of contrast. The brightest whites and darkest blacks are quite fun. My medium(s) of choice are 120/35mm film.

Aivy
Expired BW 35mm film

Ashley
Expired Fuji Provia 120 film

@mariedennise

Marie D. De Jesús is a photo editor at Houston Landing and the first Latina president of the National Press Photographers Association. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the team category of Public Service and is a winner of the staff award for Public Service Award from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Marie’s works tell the stories of underrepresented communities, including migrants and refugees, and focuses on subjects such as education and culture. Marie was born and raised in Puerto Rico, five miles from the Arecibo Observatory and is a proud member of her tiny family of three consisting of her partner Myr Olivares and their dog Kodak.

Saleen Flores, 18, rests her head on top of her young cousin Eva Castillo, 7, during a family gathering on Friday, July 10, 2020, in Pasadena. Flores lost her mother to COVID-19 on July 4th not long after Flores graduated from high school. As she finds herself navigating toward important steps in her life like possibly starting college, she feels fortunate to have strong support from the rest of her family.

Friday, July 15, 2016, in Houston. ( Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle )

@raquelnatalicchio

Raquel Natalicchio is a photographer originally from Los Angeles, CA and now based in Houston, TX as a staff visual journalist for The Houston Chronicle. Raquel documents social issues, community driven stories, political mobilization and migration across the US/Mexico border. Her work focuses on the universality of humanity, including themes of love, struggle, resilience and community. She is currently working on a long term project called “Borderlands” that explores the rich diversity of experiences in border communities along the US/Mexico border.

Raquel discovered photography in an after school arts program and it changed her life. As a result, one of her passions is working in education and has developed photography curricula centered around themes like self love for teen girls. She is passionate about community building and has produced several talks, panel discussions and exhibitions for the photographic community in Los Angeles, CA.