Photography continues to open doors

I have always lived my life through pictures. From the moment I received my first camera from my dad I have always been snapping photos of friends and family. It was this small piece of electronic equipment that brought me to the first floor of Kerckhoff, where I have grown from taking pictures to making photographs.

Through my eyepiece I have seen protests, dignitaries, marches and national champions rise and fall. I have always tried to tell a story with my camera, working within the crowds of protesters; trying to get as close as possible to get the right shot. I never imagined this is how much of my time at UCLA would be spent. Once I left class early to cover the opening of a hospital where, lo and behold, I got to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In my time as a staff photographer, I have worked alongside world-renowned sports photographers and photojournalists learning and trying to hone my craft. I’ve taken and given advice for each individual shooting condition. I have been given the opportunity to shoot events that I couldn’t imagine getting access to, from the red carpet to the Rose Bowl.

I can honestly say that sports has been my favorite thing to shoot at the Bruin. Where else could I sit courtside at basketball games and be on the sidelines of football games? I get better seats than John Wooden, except for occasionally being trampled on by a basketball player or two. It’s a small price to pay for courtside seats.

Some of my most memorable experiences have been being snowed in at the Homested Drive-In for four hours (order the pie, it’s amazing) in Worley, Idaho after shooting Washington State basketball and missing a flight; traveling to Corvallis, Oregon to shoot football in the pouring rain and making a road trip to Palo Alto for the women’s Water Polo Championships.

Although working as a photographer has taken me to many places, the job is not always that glamorous. I’ve worked on slide shows till the early morning hours with little amounts of coffee. I have been followed and harassed and followed some more by security for taking photos without the proper credentials. Driven back to UCLA from Stanford at 4:30 in the morning. However, I’ve grown from these experiences and worked hard to hopefully bring the campus photos that would better enlighten the story.

Working among the best college journalists has truly challenged and changed me. I can’t imagine any "real" world job that I might have that would grant me this much creative freedom. Daily Bruin Photography defined my experiences and life at UCLA and I can’t wait to see where my camera will lead me next.

Alvarez was a staff photographer in 2007-2008.