NM PHOTO STUDENTS TAKE TOP HONORS
Two ninth graders capture first place in Future Voices of New Mexico photography contest.
It takes great timing to capture a moment.
For Gray Garcia and Aidan Brown, patience has paid off.
The ninth grade students at Media Arts Collaborative Charter School recently picked up first place in this year’s Future Voices of New Mexico photography contest.
Gray won in the portrait category, while Aidan grabbed the honor in the landscape category.
“They are pretty brilliant,” said Tom Richardson, photography teacher at MACCS. “I’ve seen a lot of students at that level. Then you see their stuff and it stands out.”
Future Voices of New Mexico is a statewide competition that brings together teachers, filmmakers and various cultural institutions. The project encourages high school students from around the country to tell stories through film and photography.
Each year, an awards ceremony is held at Lensic Performing Arts Center. The 2020 celebration was canceled due to COVID-19 health measures.
Richardson said the two winners are super-talented kids.
“A lot of students dropped off when we went to the stay-at-home order and began not turning in as much work,” Richardson said. “These two are keeping up with everything. We always have a weekly photo challenge and they both are turning in their work. I’m happy they won because they show talent and they are the type of students that deserve recognition. They find a way to do the work even in times like this.”
MACCS is located in Nob Hill and is where students can learn about photography, filmmaking, web design, robotics and computer animation.
“Some of Albuquerque’s most talented media arts students come to our school and win incredible awards, allowing them to graduate with robust portfolios,” Principal Jonathan Dooley said.