The Pink Flamingo Gallery at Moorpark College was packed to the brim on the evening of March 31 for Kaela Watso’s opening reception of her new photography series.

The series, which she began two years ago, depicts classic fairytale characters in modern day situations: conquering tribulations young adults and children often face.

Family, friends, students, and faculty were treated with art, cupcakes, and refreshments while they surrounded the young artist as she spoke about the inspirations and techniques behind her photos.

“I wanted to talk about real things that real people go through,” said Watso. “Whether it’s anxiety and depression or domestic violence or substance abuse or hating who you are as a person, I wanted to use the fairytales as a symbol to tell these stories.”

The gallery featured four separate fairytale stories: Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, and Alice in Wonderland. Each story offers a unique twist on the original characters, which Watso did intentionally.

“None of my models are the conventional beautiful models,” Watso explains. “I wanted it to be ordinary, but extraordinary people, and I also wanted to dabble in gender reversal.”

The photos, boasting vibrant colors and dream-like elements, were achieved through artificial lighting and computer editing, which Watso says forced her out of her comfort zone.

Nick Bryden, a 20-year-old English major, says he not only enjoyed the series, but the message Watso was conveying through her photographs.

“I thought it was really inspiring how she used uncomfortable topics,” Bryden said. “It makes you think anyone can work harder to push their boundaries in their own art.”

Watso’s mother, Maria Flores, reminisced of when her daughter made the decision to pursue photography as a career.

“I thought, ‘that’s not gonna give you any money,’ but now I can really see she has a passion for this and will go far,” Flores recalled.

Karin Johansson, the director of the Pink Flamingo Gallery, says Watso was a pleasure to work with.

“She’s such a hardworking student,” said Johansson. “Its been very easy-going to work with her. She knows what she wants.”

After presenting her series to attendees and answering questions, Watso mingled with the crowd and cherished the remaining moments of her first gallery reception.

“If you would’ve told me two years ago when I started taking photographs that I’d have a gallery of a series that I worked really hard on, I wouldn’t believe it,” said Watso. “It only inspires me to create more art.”

More of the artist’s photography can be found at kaelawatsophotography.com