Even though my birth certificate says "Michelangelo Flores," I am content to be called "Michael". If only I had a dime for every time someone asked me if that was my real name. The decision to name me Michelangelo was made during a broadcast of the Charleton Heston film in which he portrayed the Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti. My dad made that decision, being reluctant to accept the names that my mother's family wanted for me. My background in media began at an early age. My first grade teacher tired of sending home notes to complain about my constant scribbling during class. When I was eleven years old, my father admonished me to never tamper with two items in the home: his 35mm Nikon camera and the Betamax. One day, I overheard my father grumbling over the blurry photos that came back from the corner photo lab. Curious to discover what the problem could be, I covertly reviewed the camera's instruction manual. Within a few hours of consulting the manual, I was able to operate the professional-grade Nikon F3 camera and program the VCR. So much for parental warnings. When I am asked about when the foundation for my passion for visual art was laid, I recall a lyric by multimedia artist David Byrne: "I was born in a house with the television always on." I go on to recall seeing someone on television operating an early digitizing tablet and stylus. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to draw into a machine that would display the results of the stylus action onto a screen. It became central to my thinking. I was still in elementary school. All of those childhood activities come together here at my desk -- the drawing, the hijacked Nikon, the Betamax. I would look at photographic effects in magazines and would wonder if Dad's Nikon could make photos similar to the ones that I was seeing in print. I was delighted to learn that the F3 could take multiple exposures. I spent a lot of time that summer running back and forth to the corner photo lab. My romance with the camera went on hold during most of junior high and high school, during which time I focused on developing my public speaking skills. I'd had a terrible stammer from childhood that I was intent on overcoming. Seventh grade speech class helped me put the stammer to rest. While speaking for the Optimist Club, I met the manager of a local radio station who told me that I could deejay for him when I was old enough. My high school guidance counselor found out that I was working a graveyard shift at a radio station, and put me on track for the Radio-TV-Film program at the University of Texas at Austin. After that, I worked for a newspaper, a public television affiliate and a network or two. These days, I divide my time among family, freelance commercial advertising jobs, television production, and digital photography. My childhood ambition is realized each day as I sit down at my Mac and use my Wacom Graphics Tablet to draw, manipulate and retouch photos. Today, my work time is divided among a number of activities, including graphic design (logo art, page layout), photography (many sorts &#8211; baby pics, portraits, product), video production (corporate vid, reality TV, commercial spots as PA, AC, and camera op), and drawing with my Painter IX program. My plan at the moment is to phase out everything except the occasional video job and the drawing over the next 18-24 months. I find it more rewarding to work on my digital drawings than strictly on the photos from which I create them. http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Faces/rez2045/66430742_kJcCs-Ti.jpg http://rez.smugmug.com/ 2009-08-12T06:06:34Z Copyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved. SmugMug <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/McLennan-Community-College/8942748_YoRsq">McLennan Community College Makeup Finals</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/McLennan-Community-College/8942748_YoRsq" title="McLennan Community College Makeup Finals"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/McLennan-Community-College/REZ1022/593992304_PB62S-Th.jpg" width="100" height="150" alt="McLennan Community College Makeup Finals" title="McLennan Community College Makeup Finals" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-08-12T06:06:34Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/McLennan-Community-College/8942748_YoRsq <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/School-House/8921037_fa47w">School House</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/School-House/8921037_fa47w" title="School House"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/School-House/REZ3114/592173767_hfwi9-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="School House" title="School House" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-17T01:35:17Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/School-House/8921037_fa47w <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Family-Portrait-Nov-08/6524494_nAhm6">Family Portrait Nov 08</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Family-Portrait-Nov-08/6524494_nAhm6" title="Family Portrait Nov 08"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Family-Portrait-Nov-08/REZ0113/414707537_QGz67-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Family Portrait Nov 08" title="Family Portrait Nov 08" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-11-10T14:06:22Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Family-Portrait-Nov-08/6524494_nAhm6 <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/Vacancies/1403275_GkHpX">Vacancies</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/Vacancies/1403275_GkHpX" title="Vacancies"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/Vacancies/Windsor-House-v23/66428935_bkY7B-Th-2.jpg" width="146" height="150" alt="Vacancies" title="Vacancies" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-10-15T04:05:57Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Architecture/Vacancies/1403275_GkHpX <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Zaricors-in-the-Bluebonnets/4741704_TtEqW">Zaricors in the Bluebonnets</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Zaricors-in-the-Bluebonnets/4741704_TtEqW" title="Zaricors in the Bluebonnets"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Zaricors-in-the-Bluebonnets/zaricor003/280926485_9YUrJ-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Zaricors in the Bluebonnets" title="Zaricors in the Bluebonnets" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-07-26T10:06:26Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Zaricors-in-the-Bluebonnets/4741704_TtEqW <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Bluebonnets-08/4687324_4xJ7H">Bluebonnets '08</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Bluebonnets-08/4687324_4xJ7H" title="Bluebonnets '08"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Bluebonnets-08/REZ0433/277183501_oQS9y-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Bluebonnets '08" title="Bluebonnets '08" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-04-09T06:26:50Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Bluebonnets-08/4687324_4xJ7H <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Places/1406532_nv2vo">Places</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Places/1406532_nv2vo" title="Places"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Places/VLA1/66590252_eKtjR-Th.jpg" width="150" height="97" alt="Places" title="Places" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-04-02T07:55:06Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Places/1406532_nv2vo <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Heatherliane/4265050_UbiZN">Heatherliane</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Heatherliane/4265050_UbiZN" title="Heatherliane"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Heatherliane/HL055/249768191_NHiWL-Th.jpg" width="100" height="150" alt="Heatherliane" title="Heatherliane" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-02-01T04:57:41Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Heatherliane/4265050_UbiZN <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Cars/Derelict-Vehicles/1406501_jnw29">Derelict Vehicles</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Cars/Derelict-Vehicles/1406501_jnw29" title="Derelict Vehicles"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Cars/Derelict-Vehicles/nboundedsel/66588836_KRSZV-Th.jpg" width="150" height="108" alt="Derelict Vehicles" title="Derelict Vehicles" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2007-06-28T09:48:55Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Cars/Derelict-Vehicles/1406501_jnw29 <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Crispin-Family/2184279_FoZV6">Crispin Family</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Crispin-Family/2184279_FoZV6" title="Crispin Family"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Crispin-Family/crispinA244/113556456_C8Aoa-Th.jpg" width="150" height="101" alt="Crispin Family" title="Crispin Family" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-28T08:03:59Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Family/Crispin-Family/2184279_FoZV6 <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Kims-Third-Session/2085396_cXhbJ">Kim's Third Session</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Kims-Third-Session/2085396_cXhbJ" title="Kim's Third Session"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Kims-Third-Session/kmoravec-C-005/107505702_CZzQw-Th.jpg" width="101" height="150" alt="Kim's Third Session" title="Kim's Third Session" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-02T09:02:44Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Kims-Third-Session/2085396_cXhbJ <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Culver-Women/2075995_Yrqc3">Culver Women</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Culver-Women/2075995_Yrqc3" title="Culver Women"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Culver-Women/cul06061704/106982898_uccpB-Th.jpg" width="150" height="101" alt="Culver Women" title="Culver Women" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-10-31T08:19:08Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Culver-Women/2075995_Yrqc3 <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Kim/1728511_R6vMh">Kim</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Kim/1728511_R6vMh" title="Kim"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Kim/kmoravec209-2c/85370524_KAUnH-Th.jpg" width="129" height="150" alt="Kim" title="Kim" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-08-01T09:29:20Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Kim/1728511_R6vMh <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Faces/1403603_xdPvh">Faces</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Faces/1403603_xdPvh" title="Faces"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Faces/rez2045/66430742_kJcCs-Th.jpg" width="120" height="150" alt="Faces" title="Faces" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-07-10T08:31:48Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Portraits/Faces/1403603_xdPvh <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Flowers/Flowers/1406521_cGvQr">Flowers</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Flowers/Flowers/1406521_cGvQr" title="Flowers"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Flowers/Flowers/FLOWER1/66590618_9XjVQ-Th.jpg" width="150" height="116" alt="Flowers" title="Flowers" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-04-27T07:52:11Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Flowers/Flowers/1406521_cGvQr <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Miscellaneous/1406523_5fd3G">Miscellaneous</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Miscellaneous/1406523_5fd3G" title="Miscellaneous"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Miscellaneous/BASSKEY1/66589494_BcU36-Th.jpg" width="150" height="108" alt="Miscellaneous" title="Miscellaneous" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-04-27T07:36:41Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Miscellaneous/1406523_5fd3G <p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com">Michelangelo</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Square-Composition/1403994_S2XLz">Square Composition</a>'</p><p><a href="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Square-Composition/1403994_S2XLz" title="Square Composition"><img src="http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Square-Composition/lelliot2c/66448760_VQRUK-Th.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Square Composition" title="Square Composition" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-04-26T08:29:16Z Michelangelo http://rez.smugmug.com http://rez.smugmug.com/Art/Square-Composition/1403994_S2XLz