By Lauren Daley
Fall River Spirit Correspondent

The Narrows Center for the Arts has hosted many nationally and internationally known artists in their front gallery, from Richie Havens to Anthony Quinn.

So 16-year-old Eric LePage is pumped to have his photo of Wilbur Woods in Little Compton, R.I., hanging in that same space.

"It's kind of overwhelming to see your photo in a professional photography show. It's just an amazing opportunity for us as high school kids," said LePage, 16, of Fall River.

LePage is one of 26 members of SNAP, the Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School Photography Club. Their exhibit, called "On the Street Where We Live," is showing at the Anawan Street arts venue through June 15.

The teens aimed to document their unique perspectives on their own communities, their own lives, and, ultimately, their own world. The exhibit is made of 32 photos, ranging in size from 8-by-10 inches to 16-by-20 inches. The subjects of the photos range from the old mills of Fall River to the beaches of Westport, from the suburban neighborhoods of Somerset to the woods of Little Compton.

"The kids gain a lot of confidence when they see they can do something and do it well," said SNAP instructor Michelle Gaudencio. "I just want to foster enrichment and cultural exposure. I want to give students the opportunity to explore photography."

Gaudencio and Paul Beaudoin, both Diman teachers, lead SNAP.

Founded four years ago, SNAP meets once a week after school to take photos and edit them in the Diman computer lab, where they use Macs and learn their way around editing software Adobe Photoshop 6.

They also learn about flash photography, motion photography, aperture, composition, how to print photos and how to develop a good photography portfolio for college or for themselves.

The SNAP members also get hands-on experience by documenting school events and contributing photos to the school newspaper, website and yearbook.

The idea for the Narrows show came last year when "a student's dad suggested that I get in contact with the Narrows, see if they would host a student photography show," Gaudencio said.

At the time Gaudencio wasn't sure if the Narrows would host a high school show because "they've had some pretty amazing exhibits" in the past. But, lo and behold, the non-profit arts center was more than happy to show the homegrown talent.

Narrows Executive Director Patrick Norton said: "One of the core missions of the Narrows has been to expose and develop an appreciation of the arts with our youth. Working with the Diman students has been a pleasure and their work is exceptional."

Last year, the Diman show was in the back room and the photos were unframed. This year, the exhibit is up front and, thanks to the Fall River Cultural Council and Tony Henriques, all the photos are framed.

"It's such a great feeling to see our photos in frames," said LePage, a sophomore. "I stayed to watch them hang everything up."

The photos are available for purchase and can be shipped to the buyer by the Narrows Center, Gaudencio said. All proceeds go to the SNAP club.

Gaudencio said the club made about $2,000 selling last year's photos.

The club used the money for cameras, equipment and a field trip to New York City's Times Square to take photos in one of the most photographed spots in the world. This year, they'd like to visit New York again to see art galleries in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood and take pictures in Chinatown.

"I can't say enough about the Narrows," said Gaudencio, adding that she has four seniors graduating this year, and all four want to minor or major in photography in college. "It's a great venue. They're all about community. They love supporting our students."

Gallery hours are Wednesday — Saturday from noon — 5 p.m., by appointment and during concerts. More information is available by calling (508) 324-1926.