YOUTH IN FOCUS

Youth in Focus is a non-profit that focuses on engaging youth through the power of photography. They approach photography as a means of curiosity, exploration, and self-discovery. Youth in Focus creates a safe, inclusive community, teaches photography at no cost, and provides mentorship for South Seattle youth.

Meet the Artists

David R.

What inspired me to take these photos was the want to give some insight into how my mind and mental health can be. From being bright and imaginative to uneasy and disgusting even. All in a quick flash. How I went about conveying this was by using color and subject matter. The color represents how beautiful, colorful, and bright my imagination can be. With the subject matter, I wanted it to represent my mental health and how uneasy it can be living with it from day to day, that being me in the midst of an emotional state distracting myself of my own thoughts, as well as relating my mind to a box in an abandoned building. Burnt, rusted, and covered in residue. And with these components at play, I hope it can convey who I am as an artist and person.

Antonio H.

An emotion is happiness, to see why it is something beautiful and unique, and an idea that it is very beautiful to see nature. When I was little I watched a lot about nature and my grandmother likes to watch nature shows and that's why I am inspired to take photos about nature. Yes, for me it expresses that in the world there are very beautiful things like nature, but people destroy them, and it should not be like that.

I learned that there are many different angles to see something more beautiful or rather that there are some angles that are better to see. My final piece is a nice view with different colors.

Wynne M.

As a student at youth in focus, I have taken away so much knowledge of how to use a camera and how to show emotion through my photography. I have learned to become proud of my work and my art, finding it surprisingly easy to share myself through this program. 

As a photographer, my pictures represent myself. Finding something without visible beauty and giving it beauty is what it's all about for me. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.