I remember the moment I realized I wanted to be a fine art photographer, and the exact image that brought me there. I was studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Photography. My decision to study Forensic Photography was a perfect blending of my law enforcement background and my love for photography. I shot the image from my car while stopped at a red light, and I knew instantly it was something special. When the print emerged from the color processor — a storeowner in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida cleaning the sidewalk in front of her store, framed by the large steel doo...

I remember the moment I realized I wanted to be a fine art photographer, and the exact image that brought me there. I was studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Photography. My decision to study Forensic Photography was a perfect blending of my law enforcement background and my love for photography. I shot the image from my car while stopped at a red light, and I knew instantly it was something special. When the print emerged from the color processor — a storeowner in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Florida cleaning the sidewalk in front of her store, framed by the large steel door that protected her establishment, which is now gone — I realized my viewfinder was a window to a whole new world around me. My camera became a tool to explore the world, and an extension of who I am.

My first experience as a professional photographer was during 1997 when I was employed as an Executive Protection Agent and tasked with conducting surveillance of off-duty, uniformed police officers during several street festivals to verify they were providing the services the City required the organizer to pay for from the police department. During the next several years, I began to expand into other areas of photography, especially landscape and street photography. One evening, as I was relaxing in front of the T.V. watching “Forensic Files” on A&E. My interest was piqued by the show’s discussion of forensic photographers. After a quick internet search I determined there were two schools in the country offering degrees in forensic photography: The Rochester Institute of Photography and Barry University.

Barry University was the right place at the right time. Having transferred the maximum number of credits into the program from an Associates of Applied Science in criminal justice, all but a few of the credits for the forensic photography program outside of the photography department were already complete. This afforded me the opportunity to take almost every photography class offered, including two study abroad programs. The first program was to study underwater photography on the island of Bonaire and the second was with Steve Althouse in Paris, France.

I left Miami during the summer of 2004 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and six months later I found myself living and working in Anchorage, Alaska. Accepting a position as a field service technician for Noritsu America, I traveled throughout Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada repairing and installing photographic processing equipment in grocery stores, warehouse stores, and professional photo labs. During all of the miles over land, water and through the air, my camera was never far from my hand. In many ways, the job was an ideal way to transition from university to the field of photography. I was able to meet many people from different sides of the business, but more importantly to me at the time, I was able to use the film I was shooting to test the machines I had just repaired; essentially processing my color negs for free.

My job at the Academy of Art was constantly inspirational. Interacting with students and professors eventually led me start graduate classes during the fall of 2008. In January I returned to Miami to pursue my final course work with my mentor, Silvia Lizama. I graduated May 2011 with a Master’s of Fine Arts specializing in fine art photography.

I have been operating Versatile Light, LLC with my wife, Jenifer, since 2010. We provide photographic services and fine art to a variety of clients. We have had an ongoing relationship with the Frost School of Music and have had many incredible opportunities to create images of amazing people and performers.

During 2014, I began studies at the University of Miami’s School of Business. After earning a graduate certificate in Business Management, I was accepted to the graduate School of Management. I graduated during 2016 with a Master’s of Science in Business Management specializing in Leadership.