George Madrid in Action"Laying on a corner in Phoenix Arizona" Photographing the Luhrs Building in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Photography by Chuck Browne. Here we go, my first ever blog post. It's a long time coming especially when you consider I took my first step into photography back when Hair Metal was not yet a thing, Phoenix had yet to build its tunnel, and none of us had ever heard of the Internet, or a digital camera for that matter. I was equipped with what many of us were back then, a Canon AE-1, a film based wonder, it sported a cheap aftermarket Sunpak flash on the hotshoe and with that camera along with lots of misguided ambition, not to mention a seat in the photography program at MetroTech, a Phoenix area Technical school who just happened to be offering a half day long course in Photography. In my mind, I had arrived. 

I was fascinated at just how photography could not only capture reality but shape it, transcend it in a way that just seemed surreal to me. It seemed magical, against the physical laws of nature. People, places, and things, captured on film, rendered in the darkroom, dodged and burned, a product on emulsion covered paper in the end, I was fascinated with the whole process. I simply could not wait to get started. All that stood in my way was well... being a teenager I guess. My time at MetroTech came to an end, I moved on with "Life" and my passion sizzled. However, now many many years later, that magic I felt, the surreal nature of this art that I now pursue, despite the many years I had turned my back on it, I could not stay away forever. 

Today, photography is my passion, my art. I am no less mesmerized today then I was many decades ago. It's what I do in part professionally and it's what keeps me out of trouble. While there was a many decades long break between my time at Metro Tech as I ran around town photographing everything in sight with my AE-1 and today, shooting everything from swimming pools to aspiring models, photography had always been on my mind. Now, with numerous classes, workshops, meetups, conferences, and those many late nights beating my head against the wall trying to get photoshop to behave, and with more equipment at my disposal than I sometimes know what to do with, or where to put, I can proudly report, I think anyway... "I have arrived," or maybe it's better to say, my photography has arrived (online anyway). 

For those that are new to this site. Welcome, I am glad you've found me. Feel free to drop me a line. Send a friend request on Facebook, find me on Google+, follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or even shoot me a message here on the site and introduce yourself. I'm always interested in meeting other photographers and hearing from other interested parties. I am always open for feedback as well, I've never shied away from a little constructive criticism of my photography, sure it can be painful when you've been critically shredded for a headshot that went awry, or an executive portrait that made someone look like less an executive, but then that's just one way that we learn, one way I've learned to be the best photographer I can be. Keep coming back as they say, the site only promises to get better as I've only begun to get started. 

As for those who know me well already, I hope you enjoy the site. Keep in mind, there's lot's to come. I have literally terabytes of photos to still go through and as I make my way through those mostly full hard drives, surely, all your favorite fitness photos, headshots, couples shoots, and full length modelling portraits will make their debut on this site. 

As this site continues to progress, I just want to extend a thank you to all those models who bore it out with me, my fellow students who I learned so much from, my professors and instructors who helped me hone my craft and to develop my style, perfect my technique, my girlfriend who has been so supportive and more than patient with me as I've embarked on this photographic adventure, and everyone else who has supported me in building Madrid Photography into what it's become, I could have not become the photographer I am today without all of you.

And finally, the shameless plug :-) Keep in mind, if you know anyone in the greater Phoenix or Scottsdale area in need of a photographer to produce an executive portrait, a headshot for their dating profile, LinkedIn page summary, full length portraits for a modelling portfolio, a professionally produced custom photograph of their automobile, ratrod, hotrod, or muscle car, their home to show off its architecture or just generally are looking for a Phoenix or Scottsdale Arizona area photographer for any kind of custom photography, don't forget to send them my way. 

Photographing GeorginaIn the studio with George Madrid while he photographs model Georgina Terrones. Photo by Christian Serre