SUMMER

2020
may 13-july 1

verano 夏天 ฤดูร้อน

गर्मी mùa hè sumar

MASTERS IN DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

 CLASS OF 2020

ONE WAY TICKET TO INDIA

The aim behind my project is to capture stillness that hides
behind the all the hustle and chaos that the city of Mumbai
is (in)famous for. We ventured out on a day that was decreed
to be a nationwide self-imposed curfew, a day that presented
the perfect opportunity to capture sights that this city has
probably not witnessed since the camera was invented. It
was apocalyptic in a surreal way. I’m glad to capture a small
Apeksha APPY Agarwal part of a time that will undoubtedly go down in history as a
aagarwal3@sva.edu turning point for our planet.

PICTURE OF MY HOME
Picture of My Home is a photographic documentary of
my parents’ daily life. As my parents come from different
countries, the project aims to illustrate the unique chemical
reaction between them, how they deal with cultural conflict
and fusion, and explore the key facts about how to maintain
a happy and healthy marriage.
Yiran SELINA Chen
ychen119@sva.edu
 ALVARO Keding Gonzalez
agonzalez5@sva.edu

EDEN ST.
This project is a photo-based exploration around the
perimeter of New York City’s public parks, focusing on the
edges of fracture between the urban built environment and
the landscaped nature.

NIU HEIMR (NINE WORLDS)

This multi-faceted photographic composite project aims to
transport its viewers and take them on a journey through
the mystical worlds of Norse Mythology, bringing its places
to life. Drawing inspiration from old texts as well as more
recent visual references and my own imagination the
project consists of fantastical images of the mythical world ELFA Frid Haralsdottir
the Vikings believed to be true. eharaldsdottir@sva.edu
 THE PRESENCE OF GESTURE
The presence of Gesture is a black-and-white fine
art photography series that focuses on hands and
gestures. These subjects are presented in a way
that blends the aesthetics of street, studio, and
fine art photography. This project aims to build my
commercial fashion portfolio and explore personal
interests in the subtle use of symbol and metaphor
in images.

Huahao DAVID Luo

hluo5@sva.edu

Congying CY Miao
cmiao1@sva.edu

GENDER EQUALITY
This project uses the method of photo compositing to reveal
the issues of objectifying men and women, and to also show
the phenomenon of gender inequality in society, especially
in China. I’m aiming to destroy stereotypes in society by
destroying some common objects that reflect gender
inequality. I am also hoping for the images to convey the
strength of female power.
 STATE AND SELF
This photographic project will be a series of carefully
composited tableau photographs that explore the
duality and complexity of individuals in certain places
and sitations. My goal for this project is to explore the
different ways that people present themselves in both
their public and personal lives. My intention is for these
images to be both subtle and complex.

Mike MJ Ashe O’Toole

jasheotoole@sva.edu

LIFE AND ILLNESS

“Life and Illness” is a photographic body of work examining
twelve different mental illnesses. These still life images are
designed to help the viewer understand the mental health
population and help break the stigma that surrounds it. This
project is a visual representation of what mental illness is,
and what it feels like. Specifically, I will be using a mixture
of plant life and flowers to express the disorders individually.

RAEann Serra
rserra@sva.edu
LETTING GO
Using water has been a constant in my photography. I never
really  understood why. I created Letting Go to explore the
moment no one can see. I will  make intimate portraits of
important people in my life using high speed strobe and 
water. I will spend 30 minutes to an hour before our portrait
session to discuss  what letting go means to them. In my 
work I am always looking for that moment where the model
gets lost in the shot  and finding that expression is a key
factor for why I’m choosing to do this kind of  project.
Catherine C-SHARP Sharp
csharp@sva.edu

PEKING OPERA
This photographic project consists of fashion and beauty
images that highlight certain colors. The colors used will
consist mainly of muted tones and other colors that will be
brought in based on collaborations with different designers.
Each collaboration will have its own signature color. This
project will help build my portfolio and experience toward a
future career, as a fashion photographer.

Ruoheng SANDY Shen

rshen1@sva.edu
 HANNAH Stampleman
hstampleman@sva.edu

BODEGA CATS
This photographic project, Bodega Cats, is to document
a portion of the community and social circle of New York
City’s middle-and-working class before it becomes extinct.
Specifically, I will show the community which forms around
the communal love and care of the bodega’s cat. The cat’s
work as both vermin controller and greeter has been in
jeopardy upon changes in government regulations, when the
Health Department began fining Bodegas. There are still a
few left, and this project documents them.

PHUONG Vo
pvo@sva.edu

SELF
A photographic project about overcoming
the feeling of inferiority complex and how to
accept one’s self.
 FREMONT
This photographic documentary project will focus on
Fremont, Michigan, which for me will always be a place to
remember. I want to explore my memory of and current
perspective on America, to better understand how this
place helped mold me into who I am today. Coming to live
in Fremont was my first time away from Thailand, and it
provided me with my initial experience of a different culture.
Natcha NANNIE Wongchanglaw Sixteen years have passed since then; the moments and
nwongchanglaw@sva.edu memories are still active in my mind.

THE 1990’S FROM CHINA

This photographic project will include a series of stylized
self-portraits to represent the young people who were born
in China during the 1990s and grew up in China. The impact
of the “Chinese Economic Reform” and “One Child Policy”
combined with the emergence of the internet has had a
tremendous on my generation. I intend to share the stories
from individuals about what makes this 1990’s generation Qiming DYLAN Xie
unique, due to environmental influences. qxie3@sva.edu
 BINGE Yan
byan3@sva.edu

US
Some major themes that run through my work are
identity, photographic, race and culture; sexuality and
identity, and social network impact. I want to keep
working on the subject’s identity, and highlight each
person as a unique “living being.” I want to challenge the
general stereotype that most people have in their minds.
We should let our behavior and appearances define who
we are, not judgment from others. This project aims
to let my audiences know that they should be proud of
themselves and embrace diversity.

CYCLE
This photographic project is inspired by the changes of
the four seasons and the balance of the nature cycle.
Each season has its own characteristics and meaning.
My images seek to portray each season in an abstract
way using my photography experience. It will be a
cohesive sequence of photos using objects to symbolize
the four seasons in a year.

Yunzhi CASSIE Zhang

yzhang85@sva.edu
 THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US
This photographic project will discuss the idea of “home” in
a non-traditional way by exploring my personal immediate
family history. Despite the fact that my family frequently
moves and do not live together most of the time, especially
my mom and my dad, we still form a pretty strong and close
family. In this series, I want to show the deep connection
between us, and the way we maintain this “long distance
relationship”, which I think is getting more and more common
among contemporary families.
Zhiyu JUDI Zhang
zzhang50@sva.edu