Page 130 - Demo

130 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || APRIL / MAY 2015FMM: What was the moment when you first realized you loved photography and could make a career out of it?JP: My first gig as a photographer was anything but planned. I was actually studying and working as a journalist in college when my editor tossed a camera in my hands one night and asked if I could take some photos to go along with an article I was writing. Granted, the photos looked terrible, but I loved the new medium of how I could craft and communicate a story. I spent my time after that trying to figure out how to actually take better images.FMM: Why fitness photography? Have you always had an interest in fitness, a certain exercise, or sports? JP: Fitness photography was something that I strategically got into. At the time most of my work was photographing for lifestyle magazines and the market was suffering. One by one I watched most of my clients close their doors and go out of business. So I was forced to forecast work that I felt could sustain my career that I still loved doing. I always enjoyed sports and working with athletes %u2013 but at the time the fitness industry was extremely small. It was a bit of a gamble getting into something I just believed would grow %u2013 but grow it did.FMM: Do have a routine before every speech, or anything you feel is a must for aspiring public speakers to know in order to give a great speech?JP: I think every speaker has their own unique approach before they get up in front of an audience. Personally, I spend a lot of time practicing and rehearsing my presentation before I ever give it publicly. This way when I present I can worry less about what words I am delivering, but more so how I am delivering those words for the greatest impact.FMM: How did you become a public speaker? When was the most nervous you ever were before a big speech?JP: Much like photography, I somewhat stumbled into public speaking opportunities. At first I was being asked to present to fellow classmates in college on how I was building my photo business or what my approach was to the projects I took on. I spent a bit of time working in marketing after college and through that I was giving a lot of presentations, or helping my co-workers create their presentations. I chartered a Toastmasters International group to better my skills as a presenter and am still a member of the organization to this date. I%u2019ve had the privilege of presenting coast to coast on a variety of topics related to Nadia Lopez >>>