Click on the photos below to view the corresponding galleries.
Angola Prison
Each year inmates have the opportunity to participate in Malachi Dads; a fatherhood program facilitated by Lifeline Global. Each May, inmates who successfully complete the program have the opportunity to participate in a graduation and then see their children during the Returning Hearts Celebration, also facilitated by Lifeline Global. These photos tell the story of the 2018 graduation and celebration.
More than an athlete
Society is all about labels and identities, and in the process, they often only see the label and not the person who bears it. This is especially true of people in the public eye such as celebrities and athletes. On a collegiate-level, athletes are labeled as top competitors in their sport but are not often recognized as more. They walk the halls of campus and sit in classes and study like the rest of us, but they are still known and recognized by the jersey they wear on the court or field.
I decided to delve deeper into who the athletes of California Baptist University are beyond the uniform they wear. I photographed some small part of their life that is not related to who are they are as an athlete in anyway in an effort to give people context into these student-athlete’s lives. I also photographed them in full game gear to give context to their identity as an athlete. The use of contrasting lighting and color styles for the portraits shows how these people who are often viewed as one thing are in fact multi-talented and interesting for more than their athletic ability.
Clasico De Las Americas
Every year thousands of people flood Pico Rivera Sports Arena in Pico Rivera, Calif. for Clasico De Las Americas, a charreada to help raise funds to fight cancer. All proceeds from the event are donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital which specializes in the research and treatment of childhood cancer and other juvenile diseases. The weekend-long event takes place annually in October and draws contenders and spectators from all over the United States and Mexico in a celebration of family and Mexican culture.
Charreada is a national sport in Mexico and is analogous to American rodeo. However, it is unique and more beautiful than its American counterpart. It is deeply rooted in tradition and has many beautiful aspects from the music to the traditional clothing to the food.
Warriors in training
Reserves Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets spend much of their time in college actively involved in training for their military service as active duty personnel. Every year, ROTC cadets from around the Inland Empire of California are taken to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California for training. They learn basic squad movements and techniques in simulated combat
Where the people aren’t
COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, has been declared a global pandemic. This has triggered a country wide shutdown in the United States. Here are some views of traditionally busy places in Southern California that have been effectively abandoned in the effort to stop the illness from spreading.