Gallery: Viewfinders
By Axel Lopez, Eljona Pinon, Edward Figueroa, Mia Kayser, Niveda Tennety, Jenna Smith, Rachel Hefner, Liz Ketcham, MacKenzie Coffman, Isra Ameen, Kristie-Valerie Hoang, Grant Mooney, Aubrey Yeo
June 10, 2018 1:57 p.m.
I remember being very excited to do this shoot. A day before the shoot, I asked Yael Pineda if she could bring her Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals green card and any other item relating to her undocumented status. I decided to have a brief conversation with Pineda about the decision and how it had affected her personally. She teared up as she shared her fears of being deported to her country of birth, a country she hadn’t been to since she was an infant. When the picture was published, I didn’t expect it to receive the praise it did. I was just happy I played a part in shedding some light on an important issue, one that meant a lot to Pineda.
(Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin)
With all the fanfare surrounding Josh Rosen and the offense in the comeback victory against Texas A&M, Adarius Pickett’s crucial field goal block wasn’t really focused on. But then there was my friend who texted me about how thankful he was for Pickett because of the free Chick-fil-A sandwiches they gave out the next Monday because of the block.
(Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin)
I had previously witnessed the traditional NCAA winner pool jump last year at the women’s water polo NCAA final. But at the time it was Stanford’s team celebrating in the water. When the men’s NCAA championship game was coming close to an end, another photographer reminded me about the iconic moment of the winning team jumping into the pool, and I realized I had another chance. As soon as it became clear that UCLA was going to win against USC, I focused on the team by the edge of the pool as they took a running start.
(Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin)
Preparing for my first gallery was a little intimidating at first, but it was one of the most rewarding projects I have ever done. I wanted to combine two things I was passionate about – film and inclusion. I had the privilege to work with a group of talented female filmmakers, artists that I believe will one day be trailblazers in the entertainment industry.
(Eljona Piñon/Daily Bruin)
I understand the game as a player and use that knowledge every time I go to shoot a soccer game. By knowing where the ball will most likely go next, I am able to anticipate players’ movements, which is exactly what happened here. This was one of my first shoots for The Bruin, when I went back to the office I remember briefly looking over the raw photo files with Amy Dixon, then an assistant Photo editor; She turned to me and said, ''And you said this is the first time you’ve ever shot sports?'' The next morning my photo was the cover for this story. That was an awesome feeling.
(Edward Figueroa/Daily Bruin)
The WACSmash shoot I did was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had not only as a Daily Bruin photographer but also as a UCLA student. My job that evening was almost easy because every moment of the show was photo-worthy! The music, choreography, lighting and general production was breathtaking and inspirational, especially considering how the show was composed of other students, just like me, and I left the shoot with a newfound appreciation for the hard work UCLA students put into in pursuing their passions.
(Mia Kayser/Daily Bruin)
The cops weren’t letting people bring cameras into the event featuring Steven Mnuchin. Because it was an important event, I brought a laminated UCPD press pass to show them I was with the media, and it all ended up working out.
(Ken Shin/Daily Bruin)
Watching the full rehearsal with the deliberate lighting and ambience, I was very aware of how Chantal Cherry choreographed the piece to reveal the intimacy between two women. I knew I wanted to try not only to capture the dancers, but also the intensity of the performance. I took the photo from a low angle and got as close as I could to the women in order to fill the frame and get an intimate shot rather than one that is removed. Then that moment happened and I'm just glad I was there to capture it.
(Niveda Tennety/Daily Bruin)
The problem with this shoot is that it needed to be dark enough for the fairy lights to show, but light enough for the subject to be clearly visible and in focus. It was in a dorm room, so I closed the blinds, but I had the roommate of my subject hold up a desk lamp to restore some of the light lost. To get the bokeh to be cross-shaped, I made a filter out of a cheerios box and stuck it to my lens with painter’s tape. It should be noted that fairy lights really have a mind of their own as far as moving around, so I taped the ends to the ceiling and the battery boxes tucked under the subject’s stomach. Their room’s air conditioning was like an arctic wind that never stopped blowing, and the wires kept jiggling around. It took about 30 shots to get them to frame the subject right after much manipulation, but it was totally worth it.
(Jenna Nicole Smith/Daily Bruin)
This photo was a really personal one for me, having spent quite a bit of time in the Middle East. The joy on the children's faces as they celebrated the beginning of a new year is to me a trademark of how beautiful the culture and traditions of the Iranian people have always been and continue to be today.
(Rachel Hefner/Daily Bruin)
I spent the whole weekend camping out with UCLA Army ROTC during their spring training. Each day, the cadets participated in a mission simulation, which required them to trek through the wilderness for miles, and I went along with them. A simulated battle had just been waged, and the mission was complete, so the cadets had a chance to sit and let their guards down. Being removed from the chaos and catching such a simple moment of reflection and exhaustion seemed to express a feeling more interesting and complex than a chaotic image of simulated warfare could.
(Liz Ketcham/Daily Bruin)
I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I got to the shoot. There are so many kinds of yoga and it means different things to different people. For some, yoga is moving through poses while focusing on mindfulness. My mother is a certified yoga instructor, and I have photographed her a few times before, so I knew I could get a good shot of Marco Antonio contorted in some position. It turned out that he was very strong with a great balance, so we got into this dance where I would tell him I was ready, he would get into the pose, then I would shoot as quickly as I could before he had to come out of it.
(MacKenzie Coffman/Daily Bruin)
After Kris Wilkes dunked, I thought to myself, ''Oh that looks neat. Better take a picture before he stops doing that.''
(Ken Shin/Daily Bruin)
It was the first week of spring quarter and as I was walking over to the Broad Art Center for the shoot, I passed by the most beautiful orange flowers. When I met Lucia Santina Ribisi and learned about her explorations in botany, I knew this was the perfect spot. She was a great sport since we had to climb over a wall and sit in the bushes to get the shot, but it was worth it in the end!
(Isra Ameen/Daily Bruin)
The women's basketball team got to KeyArena in Seattle a little early before their Pac-12 quarterfinal game against Cal. While some of the other girls went to go watch Oregon play, forward Monique Billings stayed behind to receive pregame treatment. I spent the day photographing the team and had just left the locker room to prep my memory cards for the upcoming matchup when I noticed Billings. She smiled at me and I snapped a shot, but it didn't quite capture what I wanted. I kept walking before quietly stepping back to photograph Mo in her element – her focus zone before tipoff.
(Kristie-Valerie Hoang/Daily Bruin)
For this photo, I knew Claire Fieldman was a candidate for Undergraduate Students Association Council president so I was camping around her and after she won I simply tried to capture the emotion in the air and the emotion she and her supporters were all feeling. I was trying to capture the peak action of the election!
(Grant Mooney/Daily Bruin)
John Tudhope and I drove to San Diego to visit Bill Walton in his house. He made us feel right at home. For this photo, I asked Walton if I could stand on a chair to take it because he was so tall, to which he responded, ''Of course you can, it’s in a house.'' He also told us beforehand that the dress code was beach attire, sports casual or Grateful Dead.
