SCMA Presents Student Photo Exhibit

 

BY DANIEL WOOD

Staff Reporter

On Sept. 26, the school of Communication, Media and the Arts held an exhibit to showcase the photography of junior Devyn King (assistant photo editor for the Spectrum) and sophomore Nawaf Saud Alyousif. Both went through different photography classes taught by Professor Richard Falco.

“I get the students to this really good place photographically and I usually choose two students to be involved with these exhibitions,” said Falco. The photographs come from his photojournalism class and digital photography class.

“I look at it as an opportunity to showcase their work,” he said. “I think it’s great in terms of building self-esteem. I want other students to see the great things they do.”

The photographs are chosen from a photo essay done for their final project. “I had about 100 photos from this project,” said King “I had to choose 10 pictures to best tell the story of my project.”

King did her photo essay on the church she attends at home.

“It is unlike other churches that most people are familiar with, and I wanted people to see and understand what goes on at this type of church, and possibly open their minds to something new,” she said.

The photographs showcased members of King’s church practicing their faith. One photo in particular showed a group of church members praying in a circle under a sign that reads “for the world.”

While these photos are in a group, that is not always how King went about her photography.

“When I first started, I definitely didn’t have as much knowledge about telling a story with my photos,” said King. “I sort of just took them. Now, and especially after completing this project, I have so much more knowledge on how to tell a story with photos and even put them in a certain order to do so.”

King has had a love for photography since she was young and bought her first camera at eight years old. Nawaf Saud Alyousif started at a young age as well.

“My father always liked photography. All around my house there were old-style cameras. Even after he passed away when I was seven, I still have a lot of the cameras he left,” said Alyousif.

Alyousif started with releasing his work on Instagram. Then he started doing corporate events and weddings. That was when he was in Saudi Arabia.

“When I moved to the U.S., I stopped taking pictures until I was accepted to Sacred Heart,” said Alyousif. “Then I found the photography class and said, ‘Why not?’ Thank God I still have the talent I always had.”

Alyousif made his photo essay about a mother of three kids who is trying to get her bachelor’s degree.

“She reminded me of my mom, how she is trying to finish school and take care of her kids,” said Alyousif. “I want her to see herself from a different angle. She is an artist, a student, and a mother.”

His photo essay showed a series of this mother taking care of her kids while also being a student and an artist. One photograph in particular showed her painting while her children were coloring with Expo markers.

“I feel as though we are seeing into the world that many single parents often don’t show,” said junior Brianne Paiva, who attended the exhibit. “I love how happy and carefree she looks in the solo photos.”

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