Jose Quevedo was the kid who always had a camera with him. But he spent much of his adult life working in various jobs that had nothing to do with photography and weren’t great fits. A life-altering event in 2017, when he was hit by a stray bullet while walking the dog “opened my mind up, realizing I can’t do this anymore. I need to find my passion.”

An aptitude test came back with high scores in creative areas – including photography. Since he had always been interested in the arts and was still practicing photography, he thought “well, here we go.” Jose started selling his photos even before taking classes, starting in a store that sells pieces from local artists.

After a few years he signed up for classes toward his lifelong goal of getting a degree. He figured that what he learned in the classes would strengthen his photography.

“Once I got started, I realized I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. I’m gaining a lot of new skills.”

Jose is finishing his Associates Degree and has added other local markets to sell his photos. It’s important to Jose that art remain accessible regardless of income. When he attends markets, he brings smaller items like buttons that parents can feel comfortable purchasing for their child who gets excited seeing the photography.

He plans to work in more of the large art and wine markets after finishing his degree and is working on plans for getting into larger galleries, having his own galley, and being commissioned to add value to wedding packages with his landscape photography.