Salinas photographer showcases East Salinas in new exhibition

East Salinas was represented in a special way Friday night at the unveiling of a special exhibition featuring the work of a local photographer. Something he hopes will show a side of his hometown, many don’t always get to see.

He’s only 20- years old, but Carlos Castro has been at work for a while, showcasing the beauty he sees in his community.

“I’ve shown work in San Francisco, LA, Roseville, down in the Sacramento area,” Castro said.

Friday, Carlos achieved a dream, getting to showcase his work in Salinas. The place he’s called home for most of his life.

“I’ve never shown my work in Salinas whatsoever and to show my work here for the first time and being a solo exhibition, I think I’m raising the bar high for myself and my artistic career,” he said.

An artistic career dedicated to the East Salinas community.

“What I try to show is a positive side through these images, through taking photographs of the people, taking pictures of the youth and try to get a different perspective that people don’t see,” Carlos says.

Right now Carlos is a student at Monterey Peninsula College but wasn’t always sure photography was the path he wanted.

“I was thinking about going into sports medicine and of course, that pays big bucks and it’s a lot of education,” he says, “Once photography came into my life I was just, […] ‘I want to do this forever’.”

Once Carlos finishes his associate of arts degree at Monterey Peninsula College, he says he hopes to move to LA to continue his education and career.

For a look at some of his work, click here.