After the devastating Eaton Canyon Fire swept through Altadena, the Aveson School of Leaders, a beloved TK–5th-grade campus, was lost. Along with it went classrooms, comforting routines, and the everyday normalcy that children depend on. Some students were displaced. Some lost their homes. All of them lost a place that felt like a second home.

But even in the ash, something beautiful began to grow: resilience.

Enter Rise Above The Flashes, a student-driven photography project that invites Aveson kids to tell their stories, capture their emotions, and reclaim their joy. Armed with 35mm disposable cameras, students were encouraged to document moments of hope, strength, gratitude, and wonder in their everyday lives, not with perfect technique but with honest eyes and full hearts.

Photography became more than just a creative outlet; it became a tool for healing. Through the lens, students explored new perspectives, gave visual language to big feelings, and reframed the world around them one image at a time.

Rise Above The Flashes isn’t just about pictures. It’s about the power of young people to see light in the shadows. It’s about resilience that rises up when everything else falls away. And it’s about honoring the truth that, even in hardship, kids can be brave, brilliant, and beautifully expressive.

A book including Odes and Personal Narratives, along with student photography, is available here! An exhibition is in the works. For updates, sign up for the project newsletter found at the bottom of the gallery.

For media inquiries, please contact press@snaphappymindfulphotography.com

Download the official press release.