I've been making photographs for more than thirty years. What began as an interest in portraiture eventually became a way of documenting the people, places, and experiences that make up my life.

My background is in the visual arts. I earned a master's degree in art history from UC Riverside, and although my professional career took me in a different direction, photography has always remained my creative outlet. I'm interested in the same things that have kept me looking at photographs for years: people, family, travel, culture, architecture, and the small moments that become more meaningful with time.

For a number of years I also photographed weddings, quinceañeras, families, and portraits professionally. That work is still an important part of my photographic history, and you'll find much of it here. These days, though, I'm no longer working as a commercial photographer. I photograph primarily for myself—my family, our travels, my kids' baseball games, places that catch my attention, and whatever else I happen to find interesting.

My approach has changed over the years, but I still tend to work the same way: pay attention to the light, think carefully about composition, and then leave enough room for something unexpected to happen. I like photographs that feel considered without feeling overly staged, and I have always been drawn to strong color and a sense of place.

This site is an ongoing archive of that work—part portfolio, part family record, and part excuse to keep carrying a camera.

Thanks for visiting.

Javier