INTRODUCTION

 

Over the last several years much of my photographic efforts have consisted of shooting sports for the University of New Mexico's Sports Information Department. In addition to having photos published in various UNM athletic media guides I have been posting Lobo sports photo galleries to Wolf-Bytes, Loboland, and the Red Menace. These are popular Lobo sports fan internet sites. Additional sports credits include being a staff photographer for LoboSports Magazine (now out of print), covering Holly Holm bouts for the International Female Boxing Association, covering the New Mexico Summer Games for the Special Olympics, and having photos used inside and on the cover of a book written by Katie Hnida called "Still Kicking". The book is published by Simon and Schuster. Katie is the first and only women to ever kick an extra point for a Division 1 football team, a great role model, and someone I am honored to call a friend. I also photograph high school sports as a member of the Kim Jew Sports photography team that covers NM high school athletic events, including playoff and championship games.

My services have expanded to include far more than sports photography. I have been involved in numerous non-sports photo projects for the University of New Mexico. The photos taken for UNM have been used for various brochures, publications, and presentations. I have also photographed events for other organizations such as Care Net and the city of Rio Rancho.

My strength as a photographer is being able to capture the moment. The "moment" is more than getting a photo of someone at the top of their jump shot, breaking a tackle, or landing a punch. The moment includes emotions, the meaningfulness of an event, the essence of a person, and the beauty of a scene or subject. These factors are why I especially enjoy shooting weddings. I freely admit I get extra "charged up" when photographing a wedding because emotion, special moments, and beauty are all very important aspects of this very meaningful event. I am also honored to be a part of such a memorable time, even if only as a photographer.

As important as capturing the moment is for weddings, presenting the moment is nearly as important. This is why I have teamed up with Marie Leslie Photography. Marie has over twenty years experience shooting and presenting wedding photos. We compliment each other well so in the future I plan on being involved with more photo projects with Marie and her husband Chris. Another important reason I have teamed up with Marie and Chris is often more than one photographer is needed to truly capture all the great moments of a wedding

Being able to capture and present the moment will not mean much if the proper equipment and tools are not used. There are many challenging situations where it takes special (expensive!) lenses and cameras to get the job done. I have invested in some of the very best equipment and software available. For every hour of shooting I often spend as much time on my computer using Photoshop and other programs to get the most visual impact out of the images. The extra time I spend post processing images on the computer distinguishes my work from many competitors.

Perhaps the most important part of this introduction is to explain the meaning behind the name of my business. Since sports has been a big part of my life and much of what I do is sports photography, it would be easy to assume my business name message is to have a positive attitude that is needed in order to win games or beat the competition. That would be a wrong assumption because a winning attitude means far more than scoring more points than the other team or beating someone out for any type of competition. I feel doing your very best, no matter what the outcome, is what is most important. A "winner" in my view is simply someone that gives their best effort in order to reach their potential as a person or athlete. This is why I have a special admiration for all those involved with the Special Olympics. An expect to win attitude should be applied to every aspect of our lives. Since many of my clients are newly wed couples I want to emphasize how important it is for couples to give their very best effort to make the relationship work, including making the many sacrifices needed. Strong families are the key to a strong a healthy society, and a successful marriage is the key to a strong family.

I will go one step further in my personal definition of a winner - a winner is someone that makes a positive difference in the lives of others! Teachers, coaches, and so many others are winners in my view just because of the nature of their profession. I feel we are put on this earth not to lead a life of self-indulgence but to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I think many would agree making a positive difference is far more fulfilling then living for personal pleasures. So when you think of "Expect To Win" I sincerely hope the message this conveys is doing your very best at whatever you do and making a positive difference in this world. As I photographer I am committed to doing my best and making a difference in this world through my photography.

Please check out my web-site for more information on the services offered. If you are interested in obtaining my services go to the contact and schedule menu item or simply give me a call at 352-4527.

A testimony from Randy Mascorella, Director of the New Mexico Special Olympics -

"I don't think I can thank you enough for your awesome photos. God has gifted you! It is hard to capture the moment and you did that over and over again! I hope you continue to shoot our New Mexico games as long as we both shall live!

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* Click here to visit Loboland. Loboland is a popular internet site that allows fans to voice their opinions (via message boards) and support for Lobo athletics. On occasion I have interviewed student athletes for Loboland, click here to read the interviews.

Wolf-Bytes is similar to Loboland except joining Wolf-Bytes is by invitation only. The overall purpose of Wolf-Bytes is to be a source of positive encouragement to athletes and their families.