Message from David Fernandez President of PPAGLA

At the most recent meeting of the PPAGLA Board of Directors we elected new officers to the board, and I am happy to be representing you as your new President. I am the first President in16 years that is a Videographer.

In the four years leading up to my appointment, I have served as Vice President, and Video co-chairman with Art Quezada. Others on the board have trained and mentored me including John McCoy, Bob Riha Jr. Jim Ober, Joel Lugavere and Edna Simpson. They have taught me a lot about the organization that I now look forward to leading.

I spent much of my 35- years in Television working as a photographer for KNBC-TV.  My time as a cameraman was a distinguished one as I gathered recognition by winning many awards including the Peabody, Edward R. Murrow awards, Emmy’s, Golden Mic’s and others. I was fortunate to win these awards, but I would not have won had I not entered. I was motivated to do my best work, and I care about the results.

As the PPAGLA moves forward I think that it’s important to bring more photographers from the Television side on board. The videographers in Los Angeles are among the most creative, hard working and competitive in the business. That hard work will be reflected, and visible to the members of our association.

To that end, I am very pleased to be a part of the new and improved web site for the PPAGLA. This new site is miles ahead of our earlier attempts, and will become the focal point for our members to get news, information, and see the amazing work that is done by our members.

It is important to me that our members get the opportunity to see the best of our work, and not just those examples that have won awards. Be on the lookout for plenty of links that will showcase work done locally and around the country by photographers who push the limits of the visual medium.

The web site is still a work in progress, but I look forward adding many examples from the video side of our association. Of course, the foundation of the PPAGLA is built on the images of our many still photographers, and that work will continue to lead the way in our visual content.

For all of my friends working in the Television side, I want you to know that I am interested in making this organization more inclusive to you. But I need your help. You need to jump in, pay your dues and enter the contest.