“I’ve been in love with photography since I was 14. First my brother helped me; when he got too busy, I started getting students to assist me,” said Ali Shahrouzi (left) while shooting photos with his current assistant Conor Daniels at Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens. Shahrouzi is a disabled fine-art photographer who specializes in film and darkroom work. Daniels, who has been helping out for four months, said, “This is a win-win situation because we both learn from each other.”
Rachel Scheib, a senior at Santa Barbara High School, waits outside the Ridley-Tree Education Center after being awarded a $2,000 art scholarship. “It’s finals week, so it’s been pretty stressful. Getting this scholarship was a nice way to end it!” she said. Scheib enjoys ink, graphite, and acrylic painting. “Art is all about self expression; everything I’m thinking or feeling goes into my art. It’s a nice contrast to my scientific side,” she added.