Career
My passion for photography and video editing began my senior year in high school when I put together a video montage using two vhs players, a vhs camcorder, and a stereo to lay down the music bed. While working on the video montage, I began to notice that photos cropped a certain way look much better. Little did I know, I was actually recognizing the rule of thirds before I had ever heard of the term. Instead of going to college to become an automotive mechanic as I had planned all of my high school career, I chose to pursue a career in photography and enrolled at Texas State Technical College in Waco. In August of 2000, I completed an Associates of Applied Science degree in Media Communications and Information Technology. While a full time student at TSTC, I also worked 34 hours per week, and for a quarter, held an internship at Joe Griffin Photography. During my internship, I shadowed Joe Griffin and his assistants during photo shoots, in the darkrooms, and editing the amazing images Joe created. I especially enjoyed assisting Joe with lighting in the studio.
During my last quarter at TSTC, I accepted a position in "Master Control" at KWTX-TV in Waco. My duties included pushing a button to play commercials and writing down the exact hour, minute, and second that each commercial played on the FCC Log. After all the commercials played, I had to push another button to go back to programming. I was also responsible for playing syndicated programming at the exact times. I call it the George Jetson job. After a two year tour of duty in master control, I was given a chance to become a photojournalist. It was in that position that I learned a great deal from the chief photojournalist, Jim Peeler.
A year later, a coworker spotted a classified add in the Waco Tribune Herald advertising an opening for a photojournalist at a station in San Antonio and passed it along to me. Much to my surprise I received a call back from the News Operations Manager about a week after mailing my resume. Soon after, I loaded all my stuff into a small U-haul and headed south on I-35.
A few weeks later, I was covering Hurricane Rita in Houston and Galveston. The most memorable part was the eerie drive into downtown Houston. A major US city, notorious for its traffic congestion, was a ghost town during what should have been a busy Friday afternoon rush hour.
I have also covered numerous stories throughout the state including immigration issues along the Texas and Arizona boarders, Spring Break in South Padre Island, the Fort Hood shootings, and sporting events across the country.
I have also covered the Dallas Cowboys training camp in San Antonio and Oxnard CA, as well as many NFL games across the country.
Shooting Tony Romo Walking off the Field after being knocked out of the 2010 Playoffs.
Shooting a stand-up during our "Winter Weather" coverage
(I know. Its south Texas)
(I know. Its south Texas)
Jacksonville, FL
Nashville, TN
Seattle, WA
Tropical Storm - Mustang Island
Miami Dolphins
On the Field @ Vikings Stadium
On the Field at Giants Stadium - NY
Editing in Live van
Outside Vikings Stadium
Shooting a news story at the San Antonio Food Bank
On the Field at the new Cowboys Stadium
Lambeau Field - Green Bay, WI
Dallas Cowboys Stadium - Arlington, TX
Washington Redskins
Preparing for a live shot at the River Mist Subdivision slope fail.