I have a background as a graphic designer, one credit short of a BA in Graphic Communication Design from the National School of Visual Arts, National Autonomous University of Mexico (ENAP-UNAM) 1980. After that I realized that my passion was photography; I studied with Ignacio “Nacho” López “Photographic Expression” at the University Center of Cinematographic Studies; he introduced me to German photographer Walter Reuter, I became his assistant for more than six years. Both introduced me to the creation of Photo-essays and mentored me in photojournalism that I applied by capturing images of several Indigenous communities in México.
I moved to New York City in 1993, which was a dream of mine for years. Here, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with newspapers, magazines, and several news organizations, as well as literary publications. I also worked as a photographer-consultant for the United Nations headquarters in New York City for over 10 years at the openings for the General Assemblies. I have been a professional photographer for more than thirty five years and before moving to New York City worked from the Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari’s personal press corps as one of his photographers. Between 1992-1993 I traveled extensively in my country of origin and around the world at the President’s Office, Public Affairs Department, Los Pinos (Mexican-White House).
I hold a BA in Communication and Culture from the School of Professional Studies at the Graduate Center, City University of New York class of 2010. During my time at CUNY, I wanted to study how Mexicans fare when integrating into U.S. society. This resulted in my Senior Research Project/Capstone titled “The Mexicanization of Sunset Park, Brooklyn,” in which I interviewed immigrants and studied the neighborhood to assess how well Mexicans are blending into American society.
