photography exhibit

I'm glad to announce an upcoming exhibit titled OUTTAKES where photographers from the newspaper I work for; The Albuquerque Journal, have gathered to show previously unpublished work. The opening reception in Friday July 4th, 2008
at the Harwood Art Center on the corner of 7th and Mountain. Bring a friend or family and talk to photojournalists who cover the great state of New Mexico. For more information go to www.Harwoodartcenter.org. The photo above is the photo I'll be showing at the exhibit. It shows three generations of fishermen on the Island of Meanguera.

Los Pescadores (The Fishermen)

For several years now I have been working on a project which some day I will hopefully turn into a book. Shortly after
i moved to New Mexico from Maryland, I started travelling back home mainly to go to the beach and drink beer. Soon under
a light buzz I started noticing what was always in front of me and that was the fishermen in El Salvador, my own people. I grew up near the ocean until I was about to turn eleven and migrated to the United States. My uncle would take us the beach every Sunday and what always caught my attention was the fishermen returning in the afternoons with the catch of the day. Today I'm trying to return home as often as I can to photograph these fishermen pulling their nets at odd times of the day to find a surprise caught on the net. I just got back on April 13th from a two week trip to El Salvador where I concentrated my efforts around the fishermen on the island of Meanguera which is located on the gulf of Fonseca. I've gone there several times where I met Don Francisco Orellana seen in the second photo. Don Francisco, is a native of the Island who knows the ocean like the back of his hand. He tells me stories about the fishermen like himself and the struggles they go through just to survive. Fishing in these waters of the Pacific ocean means statying out at sea for several days because gas costs so much in those areas. These fishermen navigate the waters with now compass, GPS system, life vests, or radios. They are at the mercy of God out there and luckily they always return to a familiar light and warmth found on the island of Meanguera. I plan to keep going back every year to capture these fishermen so their experience will be documented. Today they encounter international competition from foreign comerical fishing vessels from japan, the U.S, and Europe. These are vessels who violate international laws which prohibit them from dragging their nets three miles from shore or closer. As a result of these violations the native fishermen have to go out deeper and deeper out at sea to catch what they would just off shore on their backyard just several years ago.
Shark fishermen now must go some 50 miles out at sea just to make their trip worth the effort. They traveled in fiberglass boats which is a change from the old dugout canoes of the past.

To El Salvador

So at the beginning of April I managed to go back home to El Salvador.
This was a great chance to catch up with relatives who I had not seen
in years and also to continue working on a project that I started back in 90'S.
It deals with documenting the fishermen of El Salvador particularly in the
area near the island of Meanguera in the Gulf of Fonseca. as you
can see my lunch at my aunt's house was fresh. This chicken made for a great soup
on the first day I arrived in San Salvador. Before I dedicated my efforts to photographing
the fishermen on the coast I decided to spend sometime at the beach in the central
part of the country called Costa del Sol. Just being near the ocean my senses were
coming back to life. Traffic jams on the way to the beach become come in four legs.

Soon after seeing the beach I headed to the town of Suchitoto which is located
in the mountainous region east of San Salvador. Suchitoto is where a lot of my family
came from but were forced to leave because of the civil war in the 80's. The church
in the plaza is a sight to see. Built by the Spanish in the 1850's the church pretty much
looks the same as it does today. Currently, it is going through a renovation in the
interior where architects discovered an under laying fresco hiding behind a layer of paint.
It will be revealed in the months to come. The door seen in the third photo is a typical door
from a house on a side street off the main plaza. It remains as it did some fifty years ago.
I'll posting some images of the fishermen project in the days to come. I shot film and scanning
it is a tedious process.

March Madness

So it was time to shoot the boys class 5A Championship game between Hobbs and Clovis. The finish came down to the last seconds with Hobbs pulling out the victory. Then, the celebration began, I wasn't the main shooter that night since the game had been assigned to my coworker Jim Thompson seen here on the right with the big lens hanging from his shoulder. my main objective was to stay out of his way since he was on deadline but I saw this moment when Hobbs star Jeff Taylor drop to his knees and cry.

year after year

I don't know who this man is but every year he shows up for the state basketball tournament held
at the famous Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. March Madness is upon us. I kind of wanted know what
happened to him but I also don't want to know. Today was a great day of action from all the schools I covered.

Cuba and the Night

I'm not a reader but every now and then a book will catch my eye, especially when it deals with Latin America or photography. Cuba and the Night is set in contemporary Cuba as it follows an uneasy love affair between a cynical American photojournalist and a voluptuous young Cuban woman. The ending is a classic. I'm waiting for this work to be turn into a movie. I loved it.

fixed gear project

So , on top of being super busy, I have decided to start doing a multimedia project on the phenomenon of fixed gear bicycles. This past Sunday a race was organized called CRANK 2 that was opened to any single speed, fixed gear or BMX cyclists. Some 60 participants showed up at the parking lot of seventh and Silver in downtown Albuquerque. I recorded audio as well as took photos of the riders and bikes. It was a great time and next time I cover one of these events I think I will participate. This image shows riders lined up against a wall waiting for the GO signal to run to their bike and read a map where checkpoints where placed throughout Albuquerque. First one with all the check points in hand wins. It was awesome.