Cassidy Diaz
Assistant Editor
The “Nine Reflections: 2026 Senior Thesis Exhibition” is now on display in the Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography. The exhibit showcases photos from the senior projects of nine photography majors.
The show kicked off with a gallery reception on April 30, filled with family, friends and peers of the artists.
Senior photo majors in the show include Ronald Banks, Liberty Belle, Mia Byington, Emily Casillas, Antonio Ceniceros, Rylee Fournier, Jesse Juarez, Joseph Nocero and Vicente Rodriguez, and showcases their diverse approaches and perspectives.
At the reception the artists each gave a short speech explaining their personal messages and themes of their respective projects.
Those themes included social justice, self-reflection, mental health and challenging the male gaze, as well as the natural world.
Byington’s works showcased three photos of drag queens and one of an interactive display of a table with cosmetics.
“I grew up in a really conservative area,” Byington said. “And I’m a lesbian, so it wasn’t really fun in my social world in school … I really tried to look in the media for the queer representation in my life.”
This was her gateway to gay culture, especially after coming to California for college, she said.
“It was really fun being able to shoot them because it was kind of like my way of giving back to drag,” Byington said.
Norcero shared his passion for the world of nature via his photos.
One of his photos showcased a close-up of tree branches and a second featured a more distant view of tree roots intertwining.
“I want to show how nature can be seen from a different perspective than what you would normally see when you’re outside,” Norcero said. “Also (to) remind them that nature is important to us and to our society.”
Casillas displayed photographs of female student athletes in her project titled, “Strength and Stillness.” She chose to show the photos in black and white – as color would have been a distraction, she said – due to its symmetry display of four photos in one frame.
Casillas said that she wanted to do something different for her project. Instead of being outside with most of her projects as a sports photographer, she chose to shoot in a studio.
“I just wanted to show how strength exists beyond movement,” Casillas said. “I wanted to emphasize their presence, identity and their quiet confidence outside of the play in their game.”
Casillas hopes to become a sports team photographer for the WNBA in the future.
For Fred Brashear, visiting professor of photography and the students’ instructor, listening is a key element towards guiding the students in their creative journey in understanding their message and how they wish to capture it through photography.
“In many ways they’re capturing notes or stories and have grown as people, as community members, as artists,” Brashear said. “They’ve become more eloquent in their voice, more confident, and it’s really nice to see.”
Brashear also shared some words of wisdom for his students as they enter the world of photography.
“Stay true to yourselves, stay consistent and continue to make the work,” Brashear said. “I hope that they see how hard they work and this is not about me, this is a celebration for them.”
The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday. The exhibit will run until Aug. 1.
Cassidy Diaz can be reached at cassidy.diazgomez@laverne.edu.
Cassidy Diaz is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism. She is also news editor for the Campus Times, and previously served as an assistant editor and a staff writer.
Aaliyah Alamillo is a junior photography major and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
