The Winner Is....

Fernando Isai Meza Barba

Born and raised in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. A City on the border of the U.S.

You can find Fernando at these sites, though I should warn you that some images are not safe for work flickr, deviantart, myspace, geocities, and his blog payasokrusty

Here is what Fernando had to say...

I love night photography but haven't had that much time lately to shoot in the open... also there's lots and lots of film prints and negatives that need to be scanned in order to make a decent portfolio... but as I have to choose, one of my top favorites would be this one: Mariachi Rave 1

Besides night/low light photos and long exposures, I love to take portraits and I'm kinda new in all this strobist world although is not always nescesary. I do love street photos but as mentioned above haven't had that much time to walk freely in the past months.

Favorite... woa... lots of names out there. most of them journalist and old times pioneers, however, my all time favorite has to my Ansel Adams.

Me, let's see I started to take pictures long every time we went out cruising or vacations, I always liked to hold the camera since my childhood. I shoot at Seaworld, Blue Angels aviation shows, Universal studios, Mountains and beach ocations as I recall. Also had a couple of disposable cameras on my youth and got my first own camera at the age of 16 (bought it myself). A cyber-shot DSC-50 or something like that, a 2.0 megapixel camera with fun-to-deal-with environment and custom effects. I had my way with slow-sync, low light, and long exposure all that I could with that little joy. Bought a couple of DSR-Like cameras for minolta in further years but never got into studiying the subject intil I reach 20. Experienced with some manuel 35mm SLRs and finally bought a Minolta 5000i Auto focus camera. Shoot lots of rolls on vacations and on the streets. In September last year I couldn't continue studying (I study for two semesters, also two days a week into "Painting" as well) cuz I got "Leukemia" and been on treatment ever since. I somehow saved some money and sold my Konica-Minolta Digame z5 prosumer camera and got myself an a100 and been droooooown into photography again way more than I ever expected. I find myself most of the time reading, browsing, blogging thou the web on all different kinds of photography subjects and try to shoot as much as I can, just waiting to get better in the following months (chemotherapy is finally going to end). I've been all this year on different exposition and art shows although I couldn't assit to half of them but I do my best to get to the local community somehow. This week I shoot my first wedding for a friend and I'm starting charging for photoshoots and events. Things looks all good and shiny on the horizon.

I believe that I reached your blog by flickr and the "sony alpha group".

Congratulations Fernando, the book will be on its way to you on Monday. Its been very difficult choosing a winner but all of the responses have been great, and I think I have been enriched by the experience. Over the next week, time permitting, I hope to share some of the good stuff that has come my way through the contest. Thanks everyone who entered.