Luke Ebora ’17 has continued to explore and develop his passion for photography at Columbia University, where he is studying as a joint major in visual arts and art history. 

From the start of his career at Loyola, Ebora had a strong connection to the arts. He was involved in The Loyalist as an Arts and Entertainment section editor and was an active participant in the Loyola film festival. 

He noted, “I took AP Studio Art and a photography class at Loyola. It was the most captivating thing I was involved with at the time.”

He was often inspired by the world around him during his simple strolls through Los Angeles. 

Ebora said, “I just remember going downtown and taking photos or meeting up with friends and taking portraits of them and getting a feel for the camera.”

Although Ebora initially planned to pursue film at Columbia, he explained, “Moving to New York gave me the opportunity to step back and reflect on what I was really interested in—photography.” 

In making this shift, he was able to pursue a joint major of visual art studies and art history starting his sophomore year. 

He said, “I enjoyed the immediacy of photography and wanted to go after that.” 

While at Columbia, Ebora refined his artistic talent through extensive collaboration.

He added, “Most of my growth as an artist has come from the diverse group of people I have met and the other clubs and organizations I have been a part of. They have opened me up to pursuing new themes and messages that I wouldn’t have otherwise considered.” 

At Columbia, he gained a greater appreciation for the nuances of art and the mechanics of form, line and symmetry.

Ebora said, “I took a studio photography art class in my junior year which taught me to take a step back and remember the technical aspects of photography.”

The former Cub has incorporated these new skills into some of his latest work. 

He noted, “I recently had to create a series of images, and I really honed in on trying to create a series that did not stand alone but that worked in tandem with each other in service of some greater theme.”

The goal of his series was to emphasize life and death while reflecting the sense of uncertainty that the world was experiencing during quarantine. 

Ebora added, “I tried to focus on the feeling of memory. A lot of it came because we were in the pandemic and were sent home. I was sourcing old images and trying to find a way to make them new.” 

Once hesitant to pursue a career in the arts, Ebora is now preparing for his senior year thesis art show and certain of his passion for photography. Ebora showcases his artwork at Columbia’s spring exhibition and has his digital portfolio displayed at www.lukearonebora.com/photography.