Exhibit features Florida Film Academy photographers

IF YOU GO

“A Touch of Color”

WHEN: Exhibit will be open for six weeks.

WHERE: Winter Garden City Hall, 300 W. Plant St., Winter Garden

INFORMATION: flfilmacademy.com

Lakeview Middle School student Joey Conn paces from corner to corner of the lobby at Winter Garden City Hall. His smile stretches wide across his face, while a Nikon DSLR dangles from his neck.

Three of his buddies — 15-year-old Ocoee High student Ankhkhuab Hamlett, 15-year-old Center Academy student Jade Morrison and 13-year-old Lakeview Middle student Brittain Rainville — also are walking through the lobby. Their smiles are also bright, perhaps with just a dash of nervousness.

It only takes a few minutes before the four zero in on one of the wall sconces. One pulls out a camera phone and zooms in for a few images of the light fixture from the inside. Although tens of thousands have walked this room, it’s surely a vantage point that few have seen.

And that’s precisely why these four were selected for the Florida Film Academy’s newest exhibition, “A Touch of Color.”

The youth photography exhibit celebrates the images Joey, Ankhkhuab, Jade and Brittain have created as photography students at the academy. Led by teacher Kay Hill, the young photogs found all of their featured images in and around downtown Winter Garden. All of the images are wildly creative and, like the City Hall sconce, depict scenes of beauty often missed by the general public.

Ankhkhuab says his favorite submission is one titled, “Pink Grass.” The frame captures perfectly the sun peering through a patch of colorful blades; the blue of the Florida sky peeks from behind.

“It’s also the first one I sold,” Ankhkhuab says, smiling. “I took about two or three pictures to get this one.”

Ankhkhuab has been shooting for about two years at the academy.

“Before, I wanted to be a video-game programmer, but I found out you had to be good at math, and I’m not so great at that,” he says. “Then, when I thought about my future career, I really want to do something that I enjoy, and I have a passion for this.”

Ankhkhuab says his artistic eye is drawn primarily to colors, and he hopes to shoot for a magazine such as National Geographic and one day open his own studio.

Similarly, Jade wants to pursue photography as a career.

“When I look for things (to photograph), I am drawn to the way some things connect with me,” she says. “Sometimes, I think about things if I were that object, and I try to add some personality to it.”

The freshman at Center Academy hopes to pursue portrait and model photography.

Brittain has only been shooting for about one year, but with a graphic designer for a mother, her artistic eye may be innate.

“We did a theme of urban nature (in photography class) — plants on manmade things — and I really liked that,” she says.

Her favorite piece in the exhibit is also one of its most abstract. Titled “Electricity,” the image is a mesmerizing blur of oranges, whites, blues and reds.

“This was at the downtown gas station,” she says. “I moved the lens back and forth as cars were driving by, and it looked really cool.”

Like many professional photographers, Joey knows to look at the complete frame when he makes his images.

“I try to find a good background, then I’ll find something to add some color,” he says. “Also, positioning of the camera is important.”

Joey says he also likes to shoot images of tiny objects. His favorite piece in the exhibit is one he snapped of a small orange set atop a blue surface.

A Touch of Color will be open to the public for six weeks.

Contact Michael Eng at [email protected].

STYLE POINTS

The four featured photographers in “A Touch of Color” share some of their insights.

1. Joey Conn: “I try to find a good background, then I’ll find something to add some color.”

2. Ankhkhuab Hamlett: “I like anything that catches my eye. Most of the time, it’s color, but sometimes, it’s shapes. I love realistic photography.”

3. Jade Morrison: “When I look for things (to photograph), I am drawn to the way some things connect with me. Sometimes, I think about things if I were that object, and I try to add some personality to it.”

4. Brittain Rainville: “I love artsy pictures. I love going around to difference places and shooting.”