Subscribe to the RSS feed.Interview: Alexis Gomez, Student Photographer
By: Chris Palmedo, for CHP | Posted on: May 12th, 2009 | 
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Categories: Interviews • Education • Public Health • Urban Issues
Alexis Gomez, age 16, was the winner of our Student Photo Contest for her two-part work, “Confidence” (part one of which is pictured here). CHP’s Chris Palmedo caught up with her at the First Thursday contest celebration at the Northwest Resource Credit Union and had the chance to conduct the following interview.
CP: Your piece had two photos each featuring a different girl, which highlighted the friendship and support between the two of you.
AG: It was important to submit them both because we worked together.
How did you end up taking the photo you did?
My teacher said the contest is about health. I knew most people would probably think about physical health and I wanted to think outside the box. I thought you could be physically healthy, but you can also be mentally healthy, and the way to be mentally healthy is to have confidence in yourself.
So that’s where the word came from on your arm. What about the way you staged everything?
I think the media affects our health confidence a lot, and I think it usually brings it down, it brings our self-esteem down. So I wanted to show how even though there are all these beautiful Photoshopped women everywhere — and we’re supposed to want to look like them — there’s a young woman who sees all those images in the mirror and she’s smiling in front of them, because she likes what she’s seeing in herself.
I think that’s really important - that the girl likes what she sees in the mirror.
You mentioned Photoshop. Do you think most kids know how much manipulation goes into the pictures they see in magazines and on billboards?
I think they know, but they ignore it because they don’t want to believe it. Even before I entered photography class, I knew about Photoshop, but the class made me see how much they actually use it – which is a lot.
What the media does to women can really be dangerous, but somehow you dealt with it in a way that made your photo fun and optimistic.
Thanks.
Thank you very much for the interview and congratulations on your award. You have just received a check for $250. Do you know what you might do with your prize money?
Right now I’m saving to buy a professional camera so I will be using it for that.
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I really enjoyed the explanation behind your photo. Mental well being has as much to do with healthy living as does physical wellness. Girls, like Alexis, who understand this are likely to live much happier lives.
Alexis message to not be coerced into thinking that a altered photograph in a magazine is what you have to achieve to be happy or respected is to be applauded. I hope she can continue being such a great example to her peers.
~Aly~