Hola, pialli, and hello,

I’m a combat veteran that has used photography as a form of self therapy to see people and community again after my active duty time in 1999. Since, I have applied photography in my personal artwork, portrait business and for advertising small businesses by making content.

When I separated from service in ’99 I was uncomfortable with people. Difficult to hold a job so I started to work for myself as a photographer. My skills were taught to my by my dad since I was nine years old. I’ve been involved with this medium since the use of a darkroom with developing tanks, paper trays, enlargers and printmaking techniques. When digital became prominent in the late 80’s I quickly incorporated digital and analog methods. I guess you could saw I grew up with Photoshop! Today my approach is almost the same. I shoot film, scan the negatives with a specific film scanner, develop the images in Lightroom, and print my enlargements. My subject tends to be documenting the Chicano culture and how I view contemporary Chicanoism. I also appreciate street photography capturing the personality of a community.

Photography allowed me to become comfortable with people again. I was able to see my composition and think of the exposure while observing the movement of the subject. All this calmed my thoughts of the environment. Allowing me to focus on a small portion of the world around me. Kinda like baby steps in a larger sensory overloading space. I hope to apply this concept as I learn about art therapy with the intention to help others with traumas to see the world and the people that love them in small slices of that moment. Seeing the finished photos help one focus on the here and now with people.

Gracias, tlazocomati, thank you,

Miguel Maltos Gonzales