Morning Rituals and Captured Moments in the Big Easy

As the sun rises over New Orleans, you’ll find 15-year old H.T. stepping out into the humid air for his morning ritual: taking pictures. As our Artist of the Month (as well as being featured recently at the 2017 New Orleans Gallery Show), H.T.’s collection provides a sneak peek into his self-described “cool life.”

This 10th grader takes most of his photos just outside of his house. H.T. uses different skills he learned in class to give us glimpses of his day-to-day, such as the sights he sees through the holes of his backyard gate, to the clouds that fill the color-changing sky.

H.T.’s favorite experience during photography class was working with light. He said, “It was so cool spinning flashlights. The photos looked like fireworks!” H.T. also uses his knowledge of light for another purpose: to bring his drawings of people to life. How cool is that?

Let’s take a look at some of his pictures.

Flying

Does this image of H.T’s most recent gallery show selection remind you of a popular children’s story? That’s what he hopes.

“I wanted to make my shoe look huge!” he explained, describing his technique. H.T. loves using worm’s eye view to make himself look like a giant (Jack and the Beanstalk, anyone?).

Sunset

When the sky turned orange and glowed like fire, H.T. made his way to the porch to capture this striking sunset photo.

“I snapped a bunch of pictures to get the best shot – the sky looked so cool and I wanted to see it again someday.” Now, he will never forget it.

Morningtime

This next image is sure to reveal the beauty of a New Orleans morning — what a contrast to the “Sunset” shot above. Taken from his front porch, H.T. captures the light of the sun as it reflects off fluffy clouds. The balance of blue and white combined with hints of dark green work to certainly please our aesthetic senses.

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The wonders of the world beyond this fence were deftly captured with the contrast of color and focus in this shot. H.T. says he was intentional in choosing this perfectly imperfect hole – even though it isn’t a full circle, the lines continue in an interesting circular pattern. His family gets to enjoy this photo everyday, since it hangs in their living room!

When asked why people should buy his Pablove prints, H.T. replied, “They should buy my photos because they will be helping to find a cure for childhood cancer, and that will give children a long life. It’s important.“ We think so too, H.T.

After participating in Pablove Shutterbugs for the past two years, H.T. now wants to pursue a career taking pictures as a professional photographer. We look forward to seeing his future work!

 

Meet Abigail!

At just 13 years old, Abigail has a knack for capturing life and the world around her. She recently participated in Pablove Shutterbugs program in Denver, and discovered that her favorite thing about photography is being able to capture a moment in time so that she and others can witness it again and again.

Whether it’s reading a good book under a tree, or bravely hitting the ski slopes, Abigail would much rather be outside than in. This is reflected in her photography, as she prefers to photograph nature rather than people (although her cat is her next favorite subject). Abigail explains, “People aren’t as interesting. The outdoors are too beautiful not to capture.” Her goal is to paint a picture of the great outdoors with her work.

“Doorway to the Sky”

“Doorway to the Sky”, Abigail’s favorite photo, illustrates Abigail’s eye for perspective, depth and capturing the surreal. She spotted this photo opportunity while practicing a worm’s eye view technique. “I bent down and made the camera look up.”

 

“Don’t be Afraid to LIVE”

“Don’t be Afraid to LIVE” was both designed and captured by our young photographer. While on a walk in the park, Abigail decided to send a message to the world. Abigail thought that not only would this be a cool photo visually, but maybe she could inspire others as well. “I wanted people to get outside and do things,” said Abigail.

 

“Content Cat”

Second to nature shots, Abigail’s second favorite subject is her cat. When asked about this photo, Abigail told us that “the angle was an accident.” She thinks this is a funny picture and that her cat was just acting really cute. Abigail adds “I think my cat will be thrilled about being famous”.

 

“Hummmmm”

Did you know hummingbirds flap their wings up to 70 times per second?  Now imagine how difficult it is to portray this bird looking still and calm. Abigail nailed it! Abigail’s attention to detail and ability to capture precious moments with a steady hand are what make Abigail a super star artist-of-the-month.

 

Abigail still takes photos of her outside adventures, and, of course, still photographs her cat. When asked why supporters should buy her prints, Abigail reveals that she is wise beyond her years. “People should know that if they buy a print, their money is being used for a great purpose. By paying for a photo, they are saving future lives and stopping suffering of all kinds. The cure is the answer and we all need to fight for it, not just cancer patients. Any help is appreciated, and will be used for amazing good in the future.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Abigail.

Dancing through the lens of a Shutterbug

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and we have selected the talented Shutterbug Antonella as our Artist of the Month!   

Antonella is currently featured in our Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) collection on pabloveprints.org.  Born and raised in New York City, Antonella is a true veteran and avid supporter of the Pablove Shutterbugs program. She is a passionate photographer, a beautiful ballerina, aspires to become an architect; and loves her family above all else.

Antonella first learned about the Pablove Shutterbugs program when she was just five years old, and waited patiently until she turned six to participate. And now at 10 she is one of our rock star students–having participated every year since 2012! “I liked how interactive [Shutterbugs class] was.” Antonella said, “all [of the students] got along when we were learning and taking pictures together. That’s why I did it again… and because I like taking pictures too!” Antonella is currently in 5th grade and when she’s not in school or taking photographs, she is attending ballet classes at the American Ballet Theater (ABT).

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“Spiral”

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Superhero Shutterbug!

Have you ever met a real life superhero? Meet 17 year old Daniel, our October artist of the month, who traded in his cape for a camera. When Daniel was diagnosed with cancer at nine years old, his doctors gave him a 20 percent chance of survival. Eight years later and he is still here, a proud survivor making incredible art.

Hailing from New Orleans, Daniel participated in our Shutterbugs five week class during the Spring of 2016. He initially signed up because he thought it would be something new and interesting to do, but it quickly led to much more. Soon, Daniel started looking forward to getting out of the house and having the opportunity to interact with other kids that live with cancer.

Daniel’s first featured image will be displayed in our upcoming New Orleans

Gallery Show on Tuesday, October 25. His favorite activity outside of school is to play video games on his iPad and spend time outdoors. On one of Daniel’s recent  excursions, he found his brother’s soccer ball seemingly abandoned or forgotten and took the opportunity to combine a number of the techniques he learned in class including composition, lighting, shadow, and framing.

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“Chase”

The image is called “Chase,” named after Daniel’s brother. Chase is just one of Daniel’s nine siblings. “It’s really crazy [having all of these siblings],” Daniel said, “but it’s fun and never quiet.” Daniel has tried to photograph his siblings but explained that some of his brothers do not like to stop moving long enough to have their picture taken. By the looks of this soccer ball, Chase may be one of the siblings who does not like to slow down.

Daniel has an incredibly keen eye when it comes to framing his photographs and mastered every lesson in the five week course. He is currently a freshman in high school and while geometry may not be his strongest subject, he managed to make mundane math tools look incredibly interesting. Our next featured image from Daniel is entitled, “Do You See A Square?” Daniel took this photo as a homework assignment for class. “My dad helped me put an interesting perspective on it,” Daniel said, “the name of that tool is a square and the assignment was to take a photo of a square!”  

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“Do You See A Square?”

This next image is Daniel’s favorite of his collection. He loves that it is tricky, which makes it all the more interesting. “What Do You See?” was both a challenging and rewarding image for Daniel to capture –  on his knees, pressed against the side of his family’s van waiting to snap this perfect moment. “It was luck I guess!” said Daniel, “An interesting picture sometimes involves luck. I was trying to get a picture of the sky from right against the car and the reflection did something that I wasn’t expecting.”

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“What Do You See?”

Daniel’s final image is not only fantastic but is directly connected one of his other photographs. In yet another example of stellar framing, Daniel was able to photograph his family without even needing them to be in the image. The photo entitled “The Van” features the same 12 passenger van utilized to capture the reflection imagery in “What Do You See?” Daniel was surprised that such a simplistic image came out to be so striking and powerful. Clearly, he has mastered the ability to make the ordinary look extraordinary!

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“The Van”

Daniel has continued to take photographs after participating in Shutterbugs and even served as the photographer for his church’s production of Noah’s Ark. The more Daniel works with photography, the more he realizes that he is inspired by his dad’s brother who is a professional photographer. “Before I had cancer, we would go to his house and take a family photo every year,” says Daniel, “he’s taken some great Christmas photos! He would do a regular photo and then we would all do a silly one afterward.” At this rate, Daniel may soon be taking his Uncle’s place as the family photographer. Daniel urges his new fans to continue supporting The Pablove Foundation and the Shutterbugs program. “Never give up hope about finding a cure for cancer. Never give up hope.”

Discovering the Hidden Beauty: Summer Camp + Beyond!

Erin Baron is a 20 year old, creative and insightful Shutterbug. Hailing from Hackensack, NJ, Erin first enrolled in the Shutterbugs program when she was 17 and was one of our first students from outside of Los Angeles to attend our Summer Camp in Lake Arrowhead, CA this year! This collection highlights the phenomenal work Erin created during the Pablove Shutterbugs 5-Week program, as well as her Alumni Summer Camp experience.
Erin is currently studying fine arts in college and when she’s not in class, she works part-time for a local jeweler. Anyone who has had the chance to get to know Erin, or even look at her photographs, has learned that she has a keen eye for discovering the hidden beauty that surrounds her and is also a woman of many artistic trades! When asked about her future plans, Erin sees several creative options: an art teacher, owning her own art or photography studio, being a tattoo artist (she’s designed the majority of her own 8 tattoos!) or as a back-up—a flight attendant, which would allow her to travel the world while photographing it!

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“Fly Away”

This first featured photograph captures the essence of taking flight. Taken at Six Flags, Erin noticed that this ride “looked really cool” but had no idea what it was. She describes it as resembling a “big star” until it was in motion. The angle at which the image is taken is her favorite part of the photograph.

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A Valentine’s Day Treat from One Tough Cookie

In honor of the Month of Love, we’re all about sharing the photos we <3, with you! And what better way to get struck by cupid’s arrow than with Artist of the Month 12 year-old Gracie from Freehold, NJ. Grace, aka “Cookie” is an avid photographer and likes that her camera is small and portable, which makes it easy to take it with her wherever she goes!

Grace’s motto is, “You have no choice but to be strong, but you can choose to be happy and positive!” Pair that with photos that are sweet, thoughtful, and easy-on-the-eyes – it’s hard not to fall in love. The images in her collection share a “slice of life” immediacy that comes with always being camera-ready for the next great shot. Take a second to contemplate her images in this collection, because there’s almost always more to them than can be seen at first glance. You just might become smitten yourself!

Grace, 13 years old, Colt Sunrise

Colt Sunrise” by Grace, 12 years old

We’re glad Grace had her camera with her just in time to capture the sunrise in this cool, atmospheric landscape shot. She photographed the mist rising over the baseball field from the car taken while dropping her brother off at school. Grace says, “I liked how it looked like a painting, how the land and trees are mixed in with the fog and sun.” She titled the photo “Colt Sunrise” because her brother’s school mascot is the Colt. This image is painterly, pastoral and perfect. Bravo!

Grace, 12 years old, Untitled

Untitled” by Grace

Paint splatter? An other-worldly phenomenon? This image is delightfully deceptive – these celestial green bands appear both flat and three dimensional at the same time. What’s her secret? Grace photographed this image in her backyard at night, while her father shone a green laser on the grass. Using a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of light, she expertly layers texture, line and color to create an artful and intriguing composition. Take a closer look and you can even see the blades of grass on the ground!

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Untitled” by Grace

This bold red image contrasts nicely to green composition above – it is a different kind of study in color and light. Grace captures the bright warmth of a row of candles in a church. For her, “the candles represent a different person and each person saying a prayer.” Her photograph is soft, subtle, and calm- yet the message speaks louder than words.

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Untitled” by Grace

This next photo tricks the eye with its interplay of shapes, color and pattern. Plus, it’s an example of Grace’s favorite color (pink!) and favorite lesson in perspective – worm’s eye view. This grand image was created by simply getting down on her knees to snap the shot from under the table at a restaurant. Grace adds, “I like the patterns in it. If you look at it once you wouldn’t see all the details, but you look at it again there’s a little something hidden.” Nice work, Grace!

“Photography helped get my mind off of everything that was happening. It was a good distraction, to have something else to focus on other than my cancer treatment. I like photography because you can tell a story through it. You can turn one picture into a billion different things. And I like doing it! It’s relaxing and stress relieving.” – Grace, Pablove Shutterbugs student

Grace is 12 years old (going on 30, says Mom) and lives in Freehold, NJ. People who know her well call her “Cookie”- a nickname she’s had since birth because her parents knew she’d need to be a tough cookie to put up with her boisterous older brother. Grace has lived up to the nickname ever since, and is returning to the seventh grade this semester. Go Cookie!


October Artist of the Month: Juliett

It’s no surprise that Juliett likes reading The Grimm’s Brother’s fairy tales- her photos have an eery, magical quality that’s part fantasy, part reality. Juliett’s images in this October collection are fittingly ghostly for the Halloween season (which just so happens to be her favorite holiday). Beware, they just may send a chill down your spine!

Juliett, 14 years old, Untitled

As you can see, her photographs are steeped with muted colors, feeling, and an air of mystery. Juliett is interested in creating images that mean something to her, and likes to use the black and white feature to create an older, more vintage feel. Scroll through the collection and you definitely get a sense of leaving this era and finding yourself in another.

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September Artist of the Month: Zachary

Zachary has a knack for taking sweeping, epic photos that are larger than life. Take for example, his interpretation of the Golden Gate Bridge, where he captures the iconic structure in a dreamlike state. He uses his camera as a tool to explore the world near and far (this summer, he took his camera with him across the pond to Germany).

Zachary, 11 years old, Untitled

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