Category Archives: News

The Potential Within


Text by Ciana Bruce/ Photos by Charletta Cloud & Ciana Bruce Church and education sustained her passion for serving others. But her potential paved the path for a new service — leadership.  Jacquelyn Ponder, who […]

Amber Fields: June Photographer of the Month


Interview by Avery Fields/ Photos by Amber Fields Amber Fields, 18, from Brooklyn, New York, is our June Photographer of the Month winner. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Fields competed against three other photographers […]

Standing in the Gap: The Life of Missionary Gussie Breedlove


Text by Stephanie Breedlove/ Photos courtesy of Gussie Breedlove One of the unsung heroes of the Atlanta community is Missionary Gussie Breedlove. This story explores her life and impact on poverty-stricken communities throughout Atlanta. Missionary […]

Jan Düerkop: May Photographer of the Month


Interview by Avery Fields/ Photos by Jan Düerkop Jan Düerkop, 37, from Hamburg, Germany, is our May Photographer of the Month winner. He competed against three other photographers and his photo received the most votes. […]

Taylor Mackenzie: April Photographer of the Month


Interview by Avery Fields/ Photos by Taylor Mackenzie Taylor Mackenzie, 20, from Michigan, is our April Photographer of the Month! She received the most votes out of three other competitors. In the third week of […]

Ali Sardar: March Photographer of the Month


Interview by Olivia Goss/ Photos by Ali Sardar Ali Sardar, 26, from Atlanta, is our March Photographer of the Month winner. He competed against three others, and his photo submission received the most votes. Ali […]

Whitney Jones: December Photographer of the Month


Interview by Olivia Goss/ Photos by Whitney Jones Whitney Jones, 20, from Atlanta, is our December Photographer of the Month winner. She competed against three others, and her photo received the most votes. Jones previously […]

Trevon Davis: November Photographer of the Month Interview


Interview by Salinah On Yeugo/ Photos by Trevon Davis Trevon Davis, 20, from Austin, Texas, is our November Photographer of the Month winner. He competed against three other photographers for his title and his photo […]

Nikki Raitz: Featured Photographer — Bokeh Focus Exhibit 2020


Nikki Raitz was one of our eight featured photographers in our 3d, immersive, virtual Bokeh Focus Exhibit 2020 — The New World: Isolation.  Biography Nikki Raitz is 21 years old and currently pursuing a BFA […]

Kevin Barrett: October Photographer of the Month Interview


Interview by Salinah On Yeugo/ Photos by Kevin Barrett Kevin Barrett, 21, from Powder Springs, Georgia, is our October Photographer of the Month winner. He competed against three other photographers for this title, and his […]

Jan Düerkop: September Photographer of the Month Interview


Interview by Olivia Goss/ Photos by Jan Düerkop Jan Düerkop, 37, from Hamburg, Germany, is our September Photographer of the Month winner. He competed against three other photographers for this title and his photo received […]

Andrea Klerides: June Photographer of the Month Interview


Interview by Ciara Lawrence/ Photos by Andrea Klerides Andrea Klerides, 31, from Queens, New York, is our June Photographer of the Month winner. She competed against four other photographers for this title and her photos […]

Atlanta Photographers Capture Protest & Unrest


Photos by Juan Pablo Ocampo & Luke Crawford Civil unrest has spread across the nation since the death of George Floyd. Dozens of cities have witnessed young people turning out in huge crowds demanding system change […]

Sven Hühn: May Photographer of the Month Interview


Interview by Arianna Lasha/ Photos by Sven Hühn Sven Hühn, 30, from Wiesmoor, Germany, is our May Photographer of the Month winner. He competed against 4 other photographers for this title and his photo received […]

New Breed of Cops: Michael Tashji


Text and Photos by Michael Tashji On a Friday night in Bloomfield, N.J., middle school children hang out at Foley Field to watch the highschool football team play. Officer Marvid Camacho provides security at the […]

Atlanta: Then & Now — Capturing Hidden Realities in Atlanta’s 1960s Civil Rights Movement


Text by Megan Butler and Photo by Rusty Miller There is tremendous power in the ability to freeze a moment in time. Memories captured by a photographer are never forgotten. Just one image can evoke […]

Atlanta: Then & Now — Lightning: Gone In a Flash


Text and Photos by Eric Naccarato A solitary figure walks along a lonely, worn-down stretch of road.  Behind her lies a wasteland of urban development and construction. A skeletal high-rise looms, a symbol of the […]

Bokeh Focus Remodeled … Now Bolder & Modern


WELCOME TO BOKEH FOCUS! Youth Photos, Youth Focus: A platform for professional, amateur, and youth photographers to showcase photography, photojournalism and art about youth around the world and juvenile justice in the United States. At […]

Kids Compete, Learn in Juvenile Justice Jeopardy Game


Text and Photos by Ali Sardar Spending a Saturday morning in a classroom is not something most kids want to do. So why did 110 kids between 9 and 17 years old in Lawrenceville, Georgia, […]

Rally Held to Support Jessica Colotl’s Immigration Fight to Keep Dreamer Status


Text and Photos by Ali Sardar ATLANTA — Advocacy groups and protesters rallied this weekend downtown in support of Jessica Colotl, whose Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status was recently revoked. Her story made headlines […]

Community-based Organization Battles Chronic Absenteeism in Queens


Text and Photos by Becky Holladay “Good morning, Love Bugs, it’s a beautiful day!” Meaghan Holley sang through the door of an apartment. “Psych. It’s actually really gross out. But we still have to get up and […]

Nonprofit Art School Helps Youth Thrive in Skid Row, Los Angeles


Text and Photos by Sean Myers LOS ANGELES — Nestled among nondescript warehouses and infamous streets, Inner-City Arts in downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row is an oasis for artistic growth and self-exploration that serves more than 8,000 students […]

Young People Protest U.S. Election in New York, Washington, Nationwide


Text by Karen Savage | Photos by Devin Khan NEW YORK — Chants of “not my president” and “love trumps hate” filled the air as thousands of young people stood shoulder to shoulder Wednesday night, filling […]

Violence by Police, Against Police Risks Tearing Country Further Apart


Text by Daryl Khan | Photos by Karen Savage and Marco Poggio NEW YORK — Gavin Long was not among the peaceful crowds on July 10, the week before he savagely murdered three Baton Rouge […]

Broken Promises, Broken Lives


Text by Daryl Khan | Photos by Robert Stolarik The mostly black electorate of Baltimore elected a white candidate to be the next mayor in 1999. My editor at The Boston Globe asked me to […]

A Tale of Two Cities


Text by Daryl Khan | Photos by Robert Stolarik “Government must focus on the needs of families, must be the protector of neighborhoods and must guard the people from the enormous power of monied interests. […]