The Big Sip

In episode 22 of The Big Sip, I had the honor of sitting down with Jose Becerra, a skilled self-taught Latino photographer living in the East Bay Area. Looking back, he notices how everything began aligning from the moment he was a child. Both his father and uncle were artists, and while he never thought much about art as a child he always had an itch for creativity.  Though his family would consistently tell him he "had the eye" and should hone in on this craft, Jose struggled with exploring this curious passion of his. Raised in a Latino household, Jose's culture had an unspoken rule about needing to justify the "why's" whenever it came to doing anything. As he spilled it: "Before grabbing the camera, how do you validate buying the camera and the equipment?" After all, it's expensive! Nonetheless, you don't need fancy equipment to get the job done--grab what you can, do your research, and dive in. "Having a $5,000 camera but not having the eye...it's just a paper holder on the table." With a planted seed in his mind to shake the guilt and simply focus in on this passion, Jose was gifted his first camera on Father's Day by his lovely wife. Choosing to frame his life, Jose dove in and began exploring the world of photography. Not only has his skillful craft and eye led to him being a 14x published photographer, he's also had the chance to collaborate with some of his idols in the industry. What he's learned over the years is if you have a passion, take your shot and explore it! This mindset led to him establishing East Bay Nights, a monthly community meetup for photographers and models to collaborate and create. Photography has led to many accolades, but what he loves most is making his subject's feel special and watching the models he works with grow and explore their own craft as they create. As a creative person, JB shared it's important to self reflect and consistently ask himself "what's next?" So what is next for JB? Sip with us at 10am and learn more about how he's #gettingsipdone! If you're looking for a photographer or want to reach out and connect with JB, check out his Instagram pages: @jbportz_ @jbecerra_photography @eastbaynights_