As a Mexican American eight year-old, I was instructed that the best things come to those who are doctors or lawyers. “If you have any hope of succeeding in this world, then you must go to school and graduate,” explained my fourth grade teacher. Although she was right about school, I did not believe that I had to be a doctor to receive good things. I always knew that there was something out there that was suited just for me.
This series is a small reflection of my world as a 22-year-old woman. Nothing is ever as it seems and through my family I have learned to be as open minded as possible. The women in my family have especially helped to understand what is important to me and to my life. As Hispanic women, we are always told that marriage is what will make us happy; finding a husband will make every dream I could ever imagine come true. However, to me, a life in photography is the only thing that can satisfy my desire for life and light.
This series is the most basic interpretation I can give to the solidarity of women. Light is the predominant feature I use to illustrate the women in every photograph. The women in the photographs represent all the beauty and complexity I see within them every day. My mother, my sisters, and my cousins are all intertwined with the ideal beauty most people see. The flower, which is so popularly seen as the epitome of beauty, was taken out of its original context and laid next to a different version of a flower, the woman.
To the rest of the world these photos may seem like regular portraits of women, but these are my women. These are the women that live and breathe life into me and fill my spectrum with a range of colors and emotions. Like many around me who dream of saving lives one day, I dream of light and showing it to the world.