For Every Event There is a Time (and a tie, a black tie usually)

I wonder if there is any scientific research on the quality of photos based on whether the photographer is wearing a tie or not. Well if there isn't yet, let me be the first to volunteer. Here are some of my would be submissions for the "wearing a tie" portion of the of the contest. Images are from the 2008 Hispanic Business Entrepreneur of the Year and Woman of the Year Award ceremonies.

Dropping Names

Name dropping, I'm not above it! Besides, if I don't do it then who will? There were a number of times at HB I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes and rub elbows with the rich and famous. These were two of them. First there was the aforementioned Mayor Villaraigosa. Then there was Oscar de la Hoya. I shot him at the Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach just days before his last fight with Manny Pacquiao. On meeting him I was surprised that he was about my size. Of course, as my friend so eloquently put it, "his 135lbs is much different from your 135lbs". Well said my friend, well said.

Scotch Nearly as Old as I am (or was)

As long as I'm taking a trip down memory lane I thought I would take it all the way back to the first spread I did for Hispanic Business. This was the first time they set me, as an intern, loose to "see what I could do". It went well and they were very happy with the images, much to my relief. So, historically and personally, these were pretty important images because from then on out I was given a lot more photo work which eventually led to my being hired officially by HB after I graduated. They even created a new position for me. Something called a Digital Imaging Specialist, which is sort of a fancy term for an "Image Manager" or better yet, "Image Beautician" which is a pretty fancy term in itself.

The Covers

In my relatively short time as a working photographer I have been honored with four magazine covers to date. 3 for Hispanic Business Magazine for whom I worked two and a half years. Thanks to them I had the pleasure to go some pretty interesting places and meet some pretty interesting people.

My first cover was of a great blues musician from Colorado named John-Alex Mason. He was very kind to let me follow him around for a couple of days back in 2007 during the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival in Helena, AR. If it weren't for him I'd still be lost on the back roads of Arkansas and Mississippi!

My first cover for Hispanic Business was of the top influential politicians and business people of 2008, one being Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa. Talk about pressure! I think I completely sweated through my suit that day.