ShutterSpeed

my name is aaron ontiveroz and i joined the tribune eagle photo staff in the spring of 2008. before that, i worked at the powell tribune and laramie boomerang, while finishing my degree in journalism at the northwest college in powell and the university of wyoming in laramie. my interest in photojournalism is probably inherent — my old man, milton ontiveroz jr., used to shoot professionally, but now he the only things he shoots are empty beer cans.

since joining this staff, i’ve tried to become a better photographer in every aspect of the profession. for the most part, i’ve noticed growth, but especially in sports and portrait photography. those are two things that never appealed to me as a student. both are now a big part of what i love about this job.

some hobbies besides my job: eating almonds, drinking root beer, snowboarding, lighthouses, reading labels, and the smell of shoe polish.

thanks for looking.

-aaron

Duell Petsch poses for a portrait promoting the Wyoming Class 2A championship game between the Burns Broncs and Big Horn, 2008. AAron Ontiveroz/staff

about the photo

one of my favorite images of 2008. this is duell petsch, an all-around stud at burns high school and a really nice kid, too. this shot was inspired by the sam jones portrait of rapper ice cube titled “double indemnity; the last gangster.” i really like the way this building looks with the classic marquee, and more importantly, working lights. most people ask if the “now playing…” stuff is really on the marquee or if i added it in photoshop. the truth: it’s really up there. it took a phone call and a visit to the lincoln that afternoon to get the message written.

technical stuff: i shot this photo using a canon mark II. settings were as follows: iso 50, shutter speed 1/8th, f-16

to light petsch, i used two white lighting strobes. one with a softbox focused on petsch and the other on the wall to the right of the model (it was covered with a red gel. hence, the red light on the building).

thanks for looking.