FreshLens 2025 Spring Showcase

Emmanuela Aning

Emmanuela Aning was born and raised on the North Side of Chicago and is currently a sophomore at Northside College Prep. Her interest in photography was inspired by her older brother, a photographer, and the evocative work of Masahisa Fukase, a Japanese photographer known for his work depicting his personal life.

Motivated to explore the medium further, she enrolled in the FreshLens Chicago Basic Course this spring. Her photographic work is rooted in a curiosity about people, street life, and the natural world. Outside of photography, she enjoys building architectural sets, cooking, and baking.

Alejandro Ascencio

Alejandro Lopez Ascencio Jr was born and raised in Chicago and is currently a sophomore at Prosser Career Academy. His passion for photography was sparked by his parents, both of whom were photographers. Growing up surrounded by their influence, Alejandro developed a deep appreciation for the power of photography. He was particularly drawn to the art of capturing life as it unfolds—preserving moments that tell stories and evoke feelings.  

His work reflects his desire to stop time and allow others to experience the beauty in the simplest of gestures. When he's not behind the camera, Alejandro enjoys playing soccer and spending time with friends.

Brisa Avelino

Brisa Avelino was born and raised in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood and is currently a sophomore at Lake View High School. Her interest in photography began with simple curiosity—she simply thought she might enjoy it. After taking some photography classes, she discovered that photography is much more than just taking pictures; it is a powerful way to capture meaning, emotion, and perspective.

She is especially drawn to photographing nature, people, and street scenes. When she is not behind the camera, she enjoys going on walks, helping others, and spending time with her close family members—experiences that continue to inspire her creative work.

Naomi Calderon

Naomi Calderon was born in Chicago and is currently a freshman at Lincoln Park High School. She was first introduced to photography through photo walks with her sister. Inspired by her sister’s passion for the art form, she decided to explore photography herself and enrolled in classes, such as the FreshLens Chicago Basic Course.

Her work focused primarily on nature, driven by a desire to express gratitude for the small, often overlooked details in the world around her. Outside of photography, Naomi enjoys spending time at coffee shops, sipping her favorite drinks while working and reflecting—moments that often inspired her creative process.

Daniel Camacho

Daniel Camacho was born in Chicago and is currently a junior at Northside College Prep. His passion for visual art began at an early age, inspired by his mother, an artist who encouraged his creativity and introduced him to drawing. This early exposure laid the foundation for his growing interest in photography.  

His journey behind the lens truly began when his uncle purchased a new car. Wanting to capture it, he found the limitations of a phone camera frustrating. Turning to his mother’s professional camera, he discovered a new sense of possibility and began to explore photography more seriously. Since then, Daniel has taken the FreshLens Chicago Basic course and other classes, where he developed a strong interest in automotive photography, drawn to the design, form, and emotion that vehicles can convey.

Caitlin Feeney

Caitlin Feeney was born in Chicago, IL, and is currently a junior at Senn High School. She is part of the school’s Visual Arts program, where she explored her passion for painting and drawing. Her journey into art began during her freshman year when she enrolled in an art class. It was in this class that she was first introduced to photography, a medium that quickly became a hobby.  

Caitlin’s interest in photography grew over the years, and when her school launched its newspaper, Senn Weekly, she joined as a photographer. Through her dedication and talent, she eventually rose to the position of head photographer. Caitlin was particularly drawn to documentary photography, capturing specific moments in people's lives. When she’s not behind the camera, Caitin enjoys reading, playing video games, and spending time with her friends.

Freddy Hernandez

Freddy Javier Hernandez was born in Chicago and is currently a sophomore student at Northside College Prep. His interest in photography began when his friends took pictures of him during basketball games.

Freddy is drawn to capturing often-overlooked details of the world, bringing them into focus and giving them new significance. When he is not behind the camera, Freddy enjoys playing basketball and volleyball, as well as spending time with friends listening to music. These activities continue to inspire his creative perspective and inform his approach to photography.

Angel Macias

Angel Macias was born in Chicago and is a junior at Lincoln Park High School. His interest in photography began at Marwen, an art institute, where he took a film photography class. This experience not only introduced him to the world of photography, but also sparked a deeper curiosity to explore it further. The following summer, after his sophomore year, Angel returned to Marwen to study digital photography. This experience solidified his passion for the medium and set the foundation for his pursuit of photography courses, such as FreshLens Chicago Basic Course.

Angel developed a particular interest in patterns and abstract imagery, drawn to the repetition and intricate details that these forms reveal. Outside of photography, he enjoys taking walks and playing chess, where he found himself noticing the smaller details that often make a big difference.

Colette Resh

Colette Resh was born and raised in Chicago, where she is currently a freshman at Senn High School. Her passion for art began when she was a young child. She has explored many different art forms, but recently she has decided to pursue photography. By enrolling in the FreshLens Chicago Basic Course, this has allowed her to explore new creative possibilities.

Colette’s work often focuses on nature as she captures her perspective of beauty in the world. Through her lens, she aims to capture moments of grace and resilience, conveying a sense of hope even in dark times. Outside of photography, Colette enjoys theater, baking, watching films, and spending quality time with friends and family. These passions, along with her love of photography, shape her creative outlook and continue to inspire her work.

Makayla Rowans

Makayla Rowans was raised in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago and is currently a freshman at Lake View High School. Her passion for photography began during walks with her grandmother, where she was introduced to the world of photography through her grandmother’s photographs. This experience sparked her deep interest in documenting moments and capturing the stories that unfold in everyday life.  

Years later, Makayla discovered FreshLens Chicago through her Algebra teacher and immediately knew she wanted to be a part of it. Her focus has since gravitated toward nature, landscape, and documentary photography, where she finds warmth and a sense of connection in the scenes she captures. Outside of photography, Makayla enjoys baking, styling hair, and participating in her school’s choir and JROTC programs.

Cameron Toussaint

Cameron Toussaint is a native Chicagoan and a senior at Lincoln Park High School. Although Cameron is set to study finance at Morehouse College, his creative journey began well before high school, as a student-athlete. He was first introduced to photography through action shots capturing his performance, sparking a deep interest in visual storytelling.

This passion led him to take an elective photography class and complete the FreshLens Chicago Basic Course, where he transitioned from subject to artist. Cameron uses photography as a creative and expressive outlet, as he enjoys photographing sports and street art in Chicago, capturing the motion and storytelling of his subjects.