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About
Rolando Gomez is a former combat photojournalist who in 1994 was selected by the Department of Defense as one of the top-five military photographers in the world. During his 8-plus years as an active-duty soldier with the U.S. Army, he served as the personal photographer for General George A. Joulwan including four years working with Joulwan in Europe and Latin America. A Desert Storm veteran, Gomez left the Army as a Staff Sgt. in 1995 to become the Chief of Multimedia for the Air Force News Agency, as a U.S. Air Force civilian were he oversaw the "photo desk" and streaming media for the Internet television and radio programs on the multi-million-dollar-a-year website of the United States Air Force, www.af.mil. He also introduced color management for AIRMAN magazine during his tenure.
Over the course of his career, Gomez traveled to 39 countries to cover feature stories including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Olympics, the 1996 Presidential Inauguration, Desert Storm, the signing of the Peace Accords in El Salvador, Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Northern Watch in Turkey, and the 1994 Rwandan refugee crisis in Africa. In 1993, as a "buck sergeant," he was awarded the Department of Defense’s Meritorious Service Medal for documenting the drug war in Central and South America, a 26 month assignment.
In 1999, Gomez turned to the lucrative field of glamour photography to supplement his income and founded the popular website www.garageglamour.com (now www.glamour1.com)–visited by over 500,000 unique users each month. His success in photography made him a popular instructor in glamour, fashion, beauty, commercial and editorial photography. He’s conducted over 300 photography workshops and seminars in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe. As a guest speaker at PhotoImaging & Design Expos (San Diego) and Photo Plus Expos (New York) he lectured as a Lighting Master, where he drew standing-room-only crowds. In addition, he discovered a Penthouse Pet (Jana Adams: Oct. 1986) and Playboy Playmate (Holley Dorrough: April 2006) and six Playboy Special Editions models.
He is the author of Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple
Author Michelle Perkins includes and entire chapter on Gomez in each of her books, Professional Portrait Posing: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers (Pro Photo Workshop) and Professional Portrait Posing: Techniques and Images from Master Photographers (Pro Photo Workshop)
Gomez is one of the original 30 Lexar Media Elite Photographers and a guest speaker at The Palm Beach Photographic Center, Samy’s Camera Digital Photo Institute in Los Angeles, FotoFusion in Florida and the Julia Dean Photo School in Venice Beach. In the Fall of 2006, he conducted a 3-country, 7-city European tour for Calumet Photographic, Europe.
His credits include Studio Photography (where contributed as a writer and special editor), Parade (cover story), People, New York Times, Stars & Stripes, Playboy, Maxim, Sports Illustrated, Airman, Soldiers, PhotoInsider, PMA Daily, Rangefinder (cover story), Leica World News (feature story), Digital Imaging, St. Martin’s Press, Peterson’s 4-Wheel Drive, Keller Cresent Advertising Agency, Netscape.com, AOL/Time Warner, Evan Williams Bourbon, San Antonio Express News, La Prensa, South Texas Reporter, PhotoMedia, Shutterbug, Photo District News, Photo Media, D-Pixx (cover story, European), Zoom NL (Europe), Photographie (Europe), PROFIFTOTO (Europe), fotoMAGAZIN (Europe), FOTO-VIDEO DIGITAAL (Europe), Camera Magazine (Europe), and numerous other publications.
Civilian Education
Bachelors of Arts Degree in Communication, Electronic Media, summa cum laude (4.0 GPA), from the University of Texas, San Antonio 2001 and an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Philips College, San Antonio.
Military Education
The U.S. Army Advanced Photojournalism Course from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. In addition he attended the Army’s Intermediate Photojournalism course at Ft. Benjamin Harrison; Multimedia Managers Course at Defense Information School, Ft. Meade; Dept. of Defense World-Wide Combat Camera Workshop, Ft. Meade; Primary Leadership Development Course with the 3rd Armored Division, Butzbach Germany and the Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver Colorado.
Military Awards
Gomez’s military awards include the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2 awards), National Defense Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Haiti Invasion), Southwest Asia Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon and the Army Overseas Ribbon (2 awards). U.S. Army qualification badges include the rifle, pistol, bayonet and grenade. Gomez also earned the German Schutzenschnur (shooting expert) medal in bronze from the German Army in Koblenz, Germany.
Military Service
8th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion, Headquarters, Headquarters Company, Mainz, Germany
5th Corps Headquarters, Special Troops Battalion, Frankfurt Germany
United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Panama City, Panama
Air Force News Agency, San Antonio, Texas (both active-duty, U.S. Army soldier and Air Force civilian employee)
