Originally from Iztapalapa, in Mexico City, Ray Chavez, as he is better known, migrated to San Francisco, California at a very young age to start photography studies, a dream that would later lead him to be the first Mexican photojournalist to work in the Oakland Tribune and with his work team to win a Pulitzer for said medium. However, he warns that photojournalism is not for everyone, you have to be cold-blooded.
Ray Chávez has been a photojournalist for the Bay Area News Group for 28 years and publishes his work in The Oakland Tribune and The Mercury News, both owned by the Bay Area News Group network, which distributes news material nationally.
«I became a photojournalist by accident. I wanted to be a fashion and gastronomy photographer, but there was an opportunity to work at the Oakland Tribune after my teachers encouraged me to apply for an opening and I started in a position as a laboratory technician," Ray said in an interview for Peninsula 360 Press.
He commented that working in the darkroom became his passion, since since his photography studies he had already spent more than twelve hours revealing and printing in black and white.
“When I came to Oakland's Laney College, I fell in love with the black and white developing and printing process. The dark room is magic because the processes are always a discovery. Slowly you see the image developed and printed.
Although as a young man his dream was to be a commercial photographer, he did not count on his talent and luck leading him to become one of the last laboratory workers for the Oakland Tribune newspaper, which is why, from his experience and in his words, it was hard for him enter the digital age.
However, this has not been an impediment to his career taking off significantly with his work within the staff of both outlets, developing two of the most difficult coverages he has ever faced.
«Photojournalism is not for everyone because you have to have cold blood. I have learned a lot from the editors I have worked with as they have been my mentors. With them I learned to be a sports photographer and to refine my technique».
The two high-impact coverages that are part of his image repertoire are the tragedy of December 2, 2016 at midnight, known as the Oakland Ghost Ship, when a warehouse destined for cultural events burned down due to an electrical failure in the middle of a concert where about 36 people lost their lives.
In view of this, the outlet to which Ray Chávez belongs was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for the up-to-the-minute news coverage of the deadly fire published in the East Bay Times by journalists and photographers: Thomas Peele, Harry Harris, Matthias Gafni, David DeBolt, Erin Baldassari, Aaron Davis, and Karl Mondon.
Regarding the second of the tragedies that have most marked the photojournalist of Mexican origin, it has been Camp Fire in Paradise, California, which occurred in 2018. One of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in the history of that state, for which the work of Ray and his team of journalists were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in the Breaking News category in 2018 .
It should be noted that the Pulitzer Prize is an award equivalent to the Nobel, which is awarded each year for achievements in print and online journalism, literature and musical composition in the United States of America and that few Mexicans have received it. one's.
Ray Chavez, aware of the challenges that exist for young people who seek to make their way within the field of photojournalism, mentioned that the most important thing is to "be patient, persistent and show visual work to people with more experience, as well as take your comments and see the photograph in depth.
On Instagram those interested can find Ray Chavez as @rayinaction where he also invites young people to ask him questions about photographic material.
Don't miss "Bay Area Portraits" on the Instagram account @peninsula360press with Constanza Mazzotti, where every week a personality who makes a difference in the community is interviewed, enjoy it every Thursday at 5:30 PM Pacific time.
You may be interested in: Laura Rubio: Mexican activist on behalf of the most vulnerable in East Palo Alto
