On Saturday, June 9, the Earthquakes hosted their first-ever Amateur Photographer Night, inviting non-professional photographers to shoot the team’s match vs. LAFC and share their favorite images on the Quakes’ website.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do, etc.:
I’m originally from San Ardo, Calif. I moved to the Bay Area to attend Santa Clara University (graduated in 2007) and have lived in Santa Clara and San Jose ever since (with the exception of about a year-and-a-half living in and around NYC). I currently work as a graphic designer for a health and fitness company. I’m happily married to my gorgeous wife and we have a beautiful and feisty 15-month-old daughter. We typically spend our Saturday evenings at Avaya Stadium, and you can find me on a soccer field on Sunday mornings.
What first got you into photography?
During my final year in college, I worked as a reporter and editor for El Observador, a small bilingual newspaper serving San Jose. Part of my responsibilities as a reporter included photographing the events I covered. My point-and-shoot didn’t scream “professional,” so I saved up my money to buy my first DSLR, a Nikon D80. I then had the opportunity to work for Sports Illustrated straight out of college; seeing great images on a daily basis further piqued my interest in photography, especially its storytelling aspect.
Favorite things to photograph and why?
Initially, travel was my favorite subject. I’ve been lucky enough to visit my parents’ hometown in Mexico and have traveled around Europe and India. The last couple of years, however, my interest has been in portrait and event photography. As more of an amateur than a professional, most photos I take are of friends and family.
Why did you want to participate in this Quakes event?
It combines two things I like: Going to Earthquakes games and photography. A lot of my favorite photographers are sports photographers, and I appreciate the skill, timing, and creativity it takes to capture great sports photos, so it’s something I wanted to try. It’s a totally different way of experiencing a game, looking for interesting moments and reactions that you might not notice when going to the game as a fan. Plus, you can’t beat the field-level view!
Where can people view your photos:
Instagram is where most of my photos end up: @fenriquez. It’s my personal account, but I’ll post actual work every now and again. Some of my older images are on my Flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/fenriquez).
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