Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
By Denise Scammon
Production/Marketing Leader
AUBURN – What do you do when you’re a young adult, college is financially out of the question immediately upon high school graduation, and it’s difficult to find a job? That’s the situation Jose Leiva found himself in when he graduated from high school in Laredo, Texas in 1965. After thinking about his options, Leiva made a decision: he needed to get drafted, put his time in the military, and maybe by the time he was discharged, he would have either an education, a job, or both. “I needed to get drafted so I visited an Army recruiting office,” said Leiva. The next thing he knew, the Air Force was recruiting him. Between the two services, he chose the Air Force.
Leiva’s first assignment in the Air Force was in a graphic arts department and his duties included photography. He was instantly “hooked” on photography after his introduction to the dark room. His work spilled over into his personal life as photography became his passion and hobby.
After being stationed in San Antonio and South Carolina, Leiva was assigned to Brindisi, Italy. If you follow Leiva on Facebook, you are fortunate to see the photos he took in Italy that he now shares on his page, one each day. You can also see his photographic work on his website at www.joseleivaphoto.com.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force, Leiva returned to Laredo. He had decided he wanted to make a living from photography. “There was an older, long-time photographer named Harry in Laredo who I pestered with questions. I had so many questions. I wanted to learn all I could about photography and how to make a living from it,” said Leiva. But, back in those days, asking a photographer to reveal photographic methods was usually met with silence. No one was sharing their photography secrets in those days. “Unlike today,” said Leiva. “There are how-to photography videos available from all kinds of sources on the Internet. Everyone is sharing their tips and tricks now.”
But back in the late 1960s to early 1970s, Leiva spent his time studying the photography of fashion photographers in fashion magazines such as Vogue, Mademoiselle, and Cosmopolitan, in order to understand what makes a photograph great. “Lighting is key,” said Leiva. He went to a store where he purchased a Kodak portraiture booklet for 50 cents. “A light bulb clicked after reading that booklet.”
Still in his 20s after his discharge, Leiva returned to Laredo and started looking for a job in Laredo. He went to the post office but there were no job openings. While in the post office he saw a help wanted poster for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and asked for an application. The F.B.I. conducted a background check and offered him a job in Washington, D.C. as a photo lab technician.
After that stint, Leiva got a job as a civilian photographer on the Air Force base in Laredo and also did freelance photography work. Once Leiva started producing photographic works in his hometown of Laredo, and getting a name established for his professional work, the older photographers started reaching out to him and asking him for his tips and tricks.
Much of Leiva’s early work is in black and white film, until color film became more stable. In its early days, color film was not a stable process and colors faded. “People were reluctant to use it. We had to learn to adjust our processing techniques to make color more stable,” said Leiva.
After spending a few years in Laredo, Leiva was ready to advance his career in photography. He took a job at a photo lab in Houston. “It was a tough work situation,” said Leiva. But better opportunities always seemed to appear when needed, and Leiva applied for a job as a photographer for IBM in Houston in the early 1970s. “My top secret clearance from my stint with the F.B.I. helped pave the way for my job at IBM. It was pretty cool. I could go anywhere in NASA including mission control when they were working on the space shuttle. I also photographed the astronauts.”
Leiva was transferred to the IBM office in Burlington, Vermont for a while. He returned to Houston where he went to work for Shell Oil in the exploration division. “The cameras I used to take seismic map photos were so large that I could stand inside the camera. I’d make adjustments to the lens inside the camera and then step out of the camera before releasing the shutter,” said Leiva.
After Shell Oil, Leiva moved to upstate New York to work for a small private photo lab that had contracts with big businesses like G.E. Leiva moved up the ladder at that lab and became senior management. “I had to make all the decisions and do it all. I really learned photography. Although the work conditions weren’t the best, this job was the biggest blessing in terms of the start of my true photography career,” said Leiva.
In the late 1990s, Leiva came to Maine to do freelance photography work. He was hired by the local daily newspaper in Lewiston which at that
time was merging its evening and morning papers into one edition. “I showed up at the newspaper without an appointment, got an interview and was hired,” said Leiva.
Leiva has made the transition from film to digital, but still shoots film occasionally. “Digital is different, but amazing,” he said. “When I look back through my old photos and select some for print, all the choices I can make today just add to the creative process. I love it. I can put my own perspective – what inspires me – into the taking of the photo and the printing of it.”
Today, Leiva is a freelance photographer. Businesses hire him to take photos for marketing and documentation purposes. He takes photos for friends and family. He doesn’t advertise. His work comes to him through word of mouth. After 50 years in the photography business, it’s nice to know that one’s name is known as a reliable professional. “I’m still learning tips and tricks of the trade. I hope to never stop learning,” said Leiva.
