Watsonville Photographers Painting ‘Friends: Near and Far’

Two native photographers have teamed up in a joint images present at Centro Artistico de Watsonville, additionally known as Watsonville Center for the Arts.

“Amigos: Cerca y Lejos,” or “Friends: Near and Far,” is an exhibit of two dozen pictures that spans the Watsonville agricultural scene, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) occasions at Watsonville Plaza and avenue scenes of Cuba.

Huve Rivas and Samuel Torres Jr. had been each born to Puerto Rican dad and mom who moved to New York City searching for better alternative for his or her households.

Rivas’ ardour for images was sparked in 1973, when he  obtained his first Nikon. The reward of the 35mm led him to enroll in a course on the City College of New York.

In 1979, Rivas moved to Santa Cruz, the place he turned his ardour right into a career. By 1980 he had opened his first studio, Fantasy Photography, within the Capitola Mercantile Building. From 1980 to 1985, his abilities and curiosity in images flourished beneath the mentorship of Master Photographer Trini Contreras, the official photographer for the Miss California Pageant.

“I documented these events in the plaza; they are from a couple years ago,” Rivas mentioned. “I really focus on the eyes. That, for me, is what makes the images pop. They’re all about the eyes and they are all doing something different.”

For 10 years Rivas was a member of the Professional Photographers of the Monterey Bay Area. He additionally taught a images program at Watsonville High School from 1983 to 2002 and served because the images instructor and director of the Video Academy on the college till 2010.

Torres mentioned it’s thrilling to have the ability to show his artwork “in an environment where they will be appreciated. I discovered my passion for photography later in life, after retiring from a fulfilling career as an attorney. With the guidance and encouragement of the talented photography instructors at Cabrillo College, I honed my skills in photography and visual storytelling. My work is a unique blend of photojournalism and abstract images, capturing everyday scenes that tell compelling stories without the need for many words.”

Amigos: Cerca y Lejos runs by Sept. 6 at Centro Artistico de Watsonville, 375 Main St., Watsonville.