Message from William G. Mancebo
William realized his interest in photography at eight years of age.
It began when he picked up a Highlights book for children. In it he
found how-to instructions for constructing a pinhole camera made
from a cardboard box; in his case it was a circus cookie camera.
That project led him to the local photo supply and he returned with
packets of powdered processing chemicals, safety bulb and a serious
commitment.
He was mesmerized by that first image. It was small, blurry and only
the house across the street but the idea that he had captured time with
a cookie box was amazing to him. Actually, he claims it still is.
A short time later he constructed a darkroom in his parent's garage
with cardboard and debris from a nearby construction site.
For William it was better than a tree house and soon fully functional.
The room was complete with a plastic enlarger and four inexpensive
trays. It was a small step up from processing in the bathroom with his
mother's baking sheets but with this accomplishment he felt empowered.
It was 1969 and after using a hand-me-down Brownie and an Instamatic
with red eye reduction (flash extender) it was time; he purchased his first
SLR, a Mamiya/Sekor 500DTL. For the next few months he spent
most of his time taking pictures of everything and felt like something was
missing. The missing link was soon found when he sold his first work at
age thirteen. He used that Mamiya until the shutter curtain tore --- twice.
Throughout his life William has experimented with many different ways
to make a living with photography all the while looking for the right fit for
himself. It didn't take him long to find that commercial photography
suited him best. It was clear to him that his efforts to create highly detailed
product imagery benefited his client base the most.
Soon he began receiving and accepting photo-journalistic assignments,
mostly for sports and entertainment, which he continues fulfilling to this very day.
"There's something special to me about freezing a fraction of a second
that then allows others to study and enjoy that perspective of interest
forever. This in itself keeps me in pursuit of the next event."
-William Mancebo
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