People Making A Difference: Las Fotos Project Inspires Teen Girls Through Photography
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the stories behind those produced by Las Fotos Project are definitely worth a thousand more.
"They're sharing the stories of their own communities through their own perspectives and their own voices," Lucia Torres, the program's executive director, said.
Las Fotos Project is a a community-based nonprofit organization in Los Angeles inspiring teenage girls through photography, mentorship and self-expression.
"We teach them photography as a way of getting in touch with themselves as a way of advocating for the community and then also creating career pathways into creative careers," Torres said.
Founded in 2010, Las Fotos Project aims to elevate the voices of young women by teaching them how to showcase their individual personalities through their art.
"Adolescence is a really important time for everyone in general, but specifically young women," Torres said. "Women are experiencing changes in their bodies, changes in their environment that a lot of what young women experience things like anxiety, depression, and so photography is really a tool for them to explore their true identities, who they are, explore their voices."
Offering programs year-round, Las Fotos provides everything the girls need from equipment to education and emotional support.
"They meet with the class once a week and a teaching artist," Torres said. "And during this class, they're essentially challenged with looking at the world around them through a specific theme, and it can be anything from, you know, who is the community, looking at issues like gentrification or homelessness."
Through exploration, inclusivity and representation, Las Fotos Project is making a difference once snapshot at a time.
"It's just amazing," Torres said. "It's really great to see how their confidence grows. Their colorfulness just gets brighter, and to just see their personalities flourish in that environment is always so incredible and such an honor to be able to see that firsthand."
Learn more about Las Fotos Project on the organization's website.