Exclusive interview con Lefty Ray Chapa“tejano photos”, 2012.
Ccwhnn.
San Antonio ZOO. Hi Santa Cecilia, la que te canta, con on the road again interviews. This week our creator has send us back to san anto for a real treat. That is we will have a chance to interview the man with the golden lens, and a key eye, Lefty Ray, guiding and photography services. Well enough of that and let’s get to that interview.
Sc; hi Righty, can you help me off this bicycle Lefty Ray?
LR: Yes, I can, but we are in Texas and just like a horse you get off on the left side, not the right side.
Sc; gee it’s been awhile since I have visited the zoo, Mr. LR, tell us how did this all come about in establishing yourself as a tejano photographer?
LF: Overall I have been a photographer for over 40 years. I was used to shooting live action of any kind, sports, wildlife, etc. When I moved to San Antonio in the 80’s, shooting live Tejano events were just a natural expansion.
SC: I am sure that tejano stars and events is just one of many of your main topic, but what other areas do you specialize in?
LR: My business is like a 3 legged stool. Outdoor photography/writing and being a fishing guide constitute the 2 other legs. Two day ago I attended the Texas Outdoor Writers Association (TOWA) annual conference and won multiple awards in photography and writing with the highlight being 1st place in photography. Being recognized by your peers is chilling.
SC: Lf what is it with still images that captures your attention?
LF: It is the intersection of time, emotion, action, location, and light.
SC: what are some of your favorite pictures you have taken that come to mind?
LF: Two happened in the same photo shoot with the subject being Ruben Ramos for a past CD shoot. The first one occurred when my main light became unplugged and I took the photo which ended up with Ruben being illuminated by my two side lights, creating a sort of silhouette. That image ended up on the back cover of the “Revolutionized” CD. The other involved the end of the shoot. I said, “We are done,” and Ruben spread his hands out and looked up to the sky. Luckily I had my finger on the trigger and snapped that one. That image became the inside of the 4 panel. Both can be seem here, www.leftyray.com/revolutionized/
SC: if you were to look back into the many photos your archives has, what have you noticed in some of your early images compared to the present ones, in the areas such as producing, style, and technical foundations?
LF: No recording artist has the perfect face or body. For example Mick Jagger does not have the prettiest face and Luciano Pavarotti does not have the slimmest of figures. Over the years I have improved in the manner of making people look better. There is no manual for doing this, just little tips and tricks I have picked up or developed on my own.
SC: wow what do you think you could do for me, well anyhow, is there a natural instinct in your style of picture taking?
LF: I look for emotion. A lot of the Tejano performers have signature moves on stage whether they realize it or not. By recognizing their moves I can anticipate when the turn, when they smile, etc.
SC: did you have a Kodak brownie camera when you were a kid?
LF: Yes, but it belonged to my mom.
Sc: I am sure you often heard people say I took a picture, and in most cases that is exactly what we have done, what do you think a pictures represents?
LF: A slice of life.
SC: what is in the future for Left Ray and in your own vision of tejano music as an art?
LF: I would at some time like to have a gallery show of my top Tejano images. Tejano music is an art and an art, I hope, does not end up being a 30 minute radio show on NPR.
Sc: has the internet ruin lots of film companies, in other words, is film a thing of the past?
LF: Film is dead. Kodak, the mother of photography just filed Chapter 11 and became the butt of several jokes at Sunday night’s Oscars telecast. The event has been held at the Kodak Theater, but a Federal court allowed Kodak out of their naming rights contract to the theater, so Billy Crystal made several jokes about it and it is now referred to as the Hollywood theater even though the Kodak name is still on the front façade.
SC: has your photography won you any awards?
LF: Apart from what I mentioned above, I have won numerous TOWA’s over the years and at the TOWA banquet on Saturday night, I finally got to meet Joe Nick Patoski. Joe Nick wrote the biography on Selena and on his blog in 2007 called me, “The Premiere photographer of Tejano music.” I am also the credited photographer on 2 Grammy winning CD’s and a dozen Grammy nominated CD’s. While people who assisted with the production of a CD project do not get an actual Grammy, we do get a very nice Grammy certificate of which two are proudly hanging on the wall in my home.
SC: if given a chance to speak with a group of young people interested in being a professional photographer, what encouraging words would you tell them?
LF: 1st: Practice, practice, practice. Sports figures and bands practice all of the time to get it right. With practice you cannot help by becoming better. 2nd: Experiment, try different things. When I buy a new camera, I practice for several months so I know what the camera can do and more importantly cannot do.
SC: you know lefty, I am kind of a big woman, (300lbs, hot shorts, and gogo boots) would I make a good model?
LF: Every person has internal beauty. It is my job to bring that out in an image.
SC: and finally sir, what do you want to say to your worldwide fans?
LF: Worldwide indeed. When I check the stats on my website, I can see the different countries that have clicked on www.leftyray.com. It is amazing. To them I hope I can continue to produce the best dam Tejano images on the planet. After all it is quality, not quantity.
SC: (smiling) well Lefty I have to move on and sir can you give me a hand back on this bicycle and point south to me?
LF: From here at the zoo head towards the Tower of Americas and keep going.
SC: now tell are Tejanos the most talented people in the world? I am Santa Cecilia la que te canta. Good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment