Manuel Ayala

I have a passion for art and beauty. As a child, my imagination was my escape. I learned to write short stories at the age of 8. I soon discovered books like \'The Teachings of Don Juan\' and \'Jonathan Livingston Seagull\' and William Shakespeare. At 11, I embraced poetry and had my 1st journal, which became my refuge and sanctuary. My favorite place was the library, reading Virgil, Plato, and Philosophers throughout time. At 14, I got my 1st guitar. I was given wings for aural flight. My love for passion and discovery was in the racing waves of octaves and dissonant reflections of music. Much of my adult life I played in bands and performed poetry at venues in the East Village NYC and upstate NY cultural centers like Woodstock, NY. My favorite artist since my teens has been Salvador Dali. I love the European artists of the early to mid 20th century. I have traveled much of Europe and America. I always had a camera with me throughout my life. Yet, it wasn\'t my main outlet until I came to Tucson in the summer of 2011. There, I met friends in the fashion scene. My life has never been the same. Now I am traveling the U.S. and Canada, booking photo shoots, highlighting designers, models, hair and make up artists, accesorizers, and locations. I am currently in NYC doing shoots and covering Fashion Week Runway Shows. I will be in Montreal in October. Then to Tucson for RAW!