THE FIRST TIME I SAW MYSELF AS A PHOTOGRAPHER
I came to Wide Angle Youth Media late in the semester of 2021. I joined Darian Jones’ film class with no prior experience in production. For the most part, I didn’t know what I was doing, and I often wondered if I could belong in this field. Luckily, I got to meet amazing mentors like Darian who trusted my vision and encouraged my skills.
Fast forward to 2022 after nearly a year of learning video-making, I began to engage with photography. That’s when I took photos of the Latin American Heritage Festival at Patterson Park, Southeast Baltimore. Surprisingly, I was actually going to film a different event near Highlandtown. However, as I headed to my destination I was drawn by the familiarity of the music that could be heard from the other side of the park. It was one of those melodies that felt like home. I couldn’t ignore it, so naturally I followed the sound.
I rushed with my camera and I asked one of the event organizers what was going on. He kindly explained everything and said it was a free event celebrating Latin American Culture! Overwhelmed by excitement, I went there and it was the first time I saw myself as a photographer. Most importantly, the experience pulled me even closer to my culture and enhanced my drive for storytelling. I also felt a sense of belonging which made the process of taking pictures very easy. For the most part, I was talking, eating, and laughing with people before I remembered to take pictures or video, which made the experience more personal and enjoyable.
Regarding the photos, overall the festival showcased multiple characteristics of Latinx Culture, featuring rural aspects of Latin American life as well as urban city styles reflected in the music. One of the gentlemen featured in the picture is a "Charro" or Mexican horse rider. If I remember correctly, there was a parade, “Luchadores” or wrestlers, dancers from specific cultural groups, singers from different genres, and food from different countries/regions. At some point, I got the chance to meet the Latin American Motorcycle Association and they were cool as well!
Many of us come from different places, perhaps we haven't even visited each other's native countries, but there is an unspoken level of understanding in these spaces. A sense of familiarity that no matter how far our past homes are, we still carry some of it within us. That's part of the reason most of my work centers on Highlandtown, Southeast Baltimore. I find it fascinating how immigration, whether forced or by choice, has brought us together to naturally form a multicultural space and community. It's not the same as what we left, nor is it like what was already here; I like to think of this as the emergence of something new. After all, no matter where I go my stories will always find me and I hope to continue learning and give justice to those narratives and personal connections.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Estefany Lara is a graduating senior at Bard High School Early College where she is earning both her AA degree and High School Diploma. She is a student in Wide Angle’s video program. Estefany is interested in media making because she aspires to convey overlooked narratives that can transcend language and cultural barriers.