Pele Awards Gold - The Pele Awards

Heaven Don't Let Me Fall Again

The Pele Awards - Pele Gold Award - Digitally Enhanced Still Photography

Presented by the American Advertising Federation Hawaiʻi (AAF Hawaiʻi), the Pele Awards recognize excellence in advertising, design, photography, filmmaking, and creative communications throughout Hawaiʻi. The High School Pele Awards recognize student work across the state, with entries evaluated by creative industry professionals. In 2022, Heaven Don't Let Me Fall Again received a Pele Gold Award in Digitally Enhanced Still Photography, the highest level of recognition awarded within the category.

“Heaven Don't Let Me Fall Again was created as part of a conceptual series photographed inside the remains of an abandoned high school that had burned down to its structural frame. Inspired by the dramatic imagery of Baroque-era art, the series explored the visual contrast between angels and devils through setting, light, styling, and digital manipulation.

I never intended to enter the photograph into a competition. My photography teacher believed in the work enough to submit it on my behalf, encouraging me to share something I had created within the classroom beyond it. That decision led to my first major recognition in photography and became an early affirmation of my interest in creating images that tell a story.”