• What is your current position and who is your employer?

 I am currently a news photographer at KTTV/Fox 11

• When did you become a PPAGLA member?

 I have been a PPAGLA member since 2014.

• How long have you been a photojournalist and how did you get started?

 I have been a professional photojournalist for seven years. I started out as a stringer in college and got hooked on news. I then landed my first job in a small market, then eventually moved back to LA. I have also worked for KCBS/KCAL and Univision network. 

• Please share some career highlights:

 Some career highlights for me include traveling across the country on the campaign trail during the 2016 Presidential election, covering hurricanes in Texas, and the countless brush fires in the LA area, such as the 2018 Woolsey fire. However, meeting new people everywhere I go no matter the story is my favorite part about my job.

• What advice do you have for students and those hoping to become photojournalists?

 Don’t get a job in news! Just kidding. It’s one of the most rewarding careers out there and I love what I do. Get to know some people working in the specific position you want. Learn from them and listen to them. Before you know it, you could be working alongside them. 

• What is something you know now that you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?

 Never burn any bridges in this industry- it’s smaller than you think. 

• What is your favorite part of being a PPAGLA member?

 My favorite part of being a PPAGLA member is connecting with other photojournalists in the market, especially those I do not get to see in-person on a regular basis. 

•  Click the link to connect with Sam: Instagram