Humans of Redwood: A Look Through The Lens With Erik Navarro 

Growing photographer Erik Navarro shares his photography journey.

By: Mia Angulo

Erik Navarro ‘25 is actively involved here at Redwood High School. He is part of the sports editor crew in yearbook, a member of CSF, the Historian/Parliamentarian for FBLA, and in Video. 

All of his extracurriculars are tools to assist him in tapping into his creative side. He has an eye for capturing cherished moments with the click of his camera. His passion is evident across all of his work and it’s clear that he is just getting started.

“My inspiration for photography came from yearbook class. I tried experimenting with journalism and video and I ended up really enjoying videography and photography and stuck with that area,” says Navarro. 

The exposure to the different creative elements in each of his classes fine-tuned his interests until he found his sweet spot. The insight he gained along the way from these experiences were to his advantage. It allowed Navarro to make connections in a new way.

Navarro says, “I’d say the majority of people I’ve met this year came from taking pictures and some of the relationships I’ve made wouldn’t have been without it.” 

He emphasizes how photography brings forth a sense of community that he values deeply. It’s a powerful thing being able to evoke emotion from a captured moment. 

Each photo has a story to tell, and that story will likely be told as a result of having that moment in time captured.“My favorite picture was from the Christmas parade. I loved capturing people’s emotions and something about the lights and festivities really made the pictures 10x more enjoyable,” says Navarro. 

It’s clear that Navarro’s eye for detail is more about the feeling behind the moments he captures. Anyone can take a picture but it takes someone with an eye for capturing the heart in a moment to bring the image to life. 

He says,“Seeing how people react to your pictures feels very rewarding, mainly in the sense that you’re able to brighten their lives a bit more. It’s really gratifying to know that people use your pictures to reminisce on specific events.” 

While Navarro finds the reactions to his work rewarding, he acknowledges that it is no easy task to get to the final product. An attention to detail is important. Being present is key to capturing just the right moment. 

“Capturing the best moment is probably the #1 struggle. It’s not like taking a video where you can let it play and choose the moment you want. You have to be mindful with the shots you take. Your positioning and your attention matter a lot as well,” says Navarro. 

Mr. Feehan not only teaches Spanish here at Redwood. He is also the Yearbook Coordinator here on campus. Mr. Feehan has helped Navarro push past his own limitations which in turn  helps in the creation of work that he is proud of. Feehan highlights Navarro’s dedication and hardwork that definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. 

“He was one of the main people covering football for the yearbook and showed up to every single game. Over time he has shown amazing progression with getting an eye for photography on getting amazing dynamic photos on the field. He does so while carrying this skill in helping others obtain that goal too,” says Feehan. 

Navarro has a busy schedule and is often the case for those who pursue their passions alongside their academics. At times it can be very challenging to maintain such a heavy load, in these situations Mr. Feehan had some words of wisdom to pass along.

He says,“Keep going, don’t give up when things get hard, the more leadership opportunities a student gets, the more pressure there is and that can get overwhelming sometimes.”

It’s no secret that persevering through the struggles often yields great rewards. Navarro’s future plans are sure to include something that allows him an avenue to continue to create.

“I plan to apply my skills towards my career. I want to go into a field in business. My dream career is to go into film photography and my backup is to do photography within the sports industry.”