About Rolando Gomez

Biography of Rolando Gomez

Rolando Gomez is a highly published photojournalist who in 1994 was selected by the Department of Defense as one of the "Top Five" military photographers world wide.

In September 1987, Gomez joined the U.S. Army where he later became the personal photographer for General George A. Joulwan for four years, serving both in Europe and Latin America. In 1993, Gomez would move back to Texas and became the Chief, Pictorial Branch, Army & Air Force Hometown News Service, Air Force News Agency.

He would then be double-promoted as the Chief of Multimedia for the Air Force News Agency where he oversaw the “photo desk” and streaming media for Internet television and radio programs for the million-dollar-a-year website of the United States Air Force, www.af.mil. Even after two consecutive promotions (2001 & 02') at the agency and being selected as Senior-Level Civilian Employee of the Year, Gomez left the agency in mid-2004 to pursue his passions in photography.

In 1999, Gomez founded the popular GarageGlamour.com website, now www.Glamour1.com and visited by over 500,000 people each month. His popularity on the Internet led to his international glamour workshops—currently over 78 consecutive sell-outs in 48 months and the signing of two book deals, the first, Garage Glamour : Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple--to be released in April 2006 by Amherst Media.

Gomez has written articles and provided images for MSN.com, the United States Army, Studio Photography & Design (contributing editor & writer), AOL/Compuserve, Netscape, Playboy Enterprises and many others. Gomez spoke to standing-room only crowds at the Photo Imaging & Design Expo in 2004, 2005 and will speak in 2006. He also spoke to capacity crowd at the Photo Plus Expo 2004 and 2005 expo in New York City. He’s a speaker/instructor for the Palm Beach Photographic Art Center and FotoFusion 2006.

A Desert Storm veteran, Gomez holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication, Electronic Media, summa cum laude (GPA 4.0) from the University of Texas, San Antonio, and served 8 years as a U.S. Army Combat Photographer and 3 years as the chief photographer for the Army & Air Force News Service, Air Force News Agency.

As a photographer, Gomez covered many events to include the "Fall of the Berlin Wall," the Olympics, the 1996 Presidential Inauguration, Desert Storm, the signing of the Peace Accords in El Salvador, Uphold Democracy in Haiti, Northern Watch in Turkey, the 1994 Rwandan refugee crisis in Africa and many more feature stories in 39 countries. In 1993, Gomez was awarded the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal documenting the “Drug War” in Central and South America for 26 months.

His clients and publishing credits include PARADE (cover-story with Eddie Adams), Peterson’s 4-Wheel Drive, Stars & Stripes, Army Times, Airman, Soldiers, Playboy Enterprises, AOL/Compuserve, Netscape, Cygnus Publishing, Studio Photography & Design, PMA Daily, and many nationwide newspapers.

Gomez is one of 40, Lexar Media Elite Photographers and has photographed several Presidents of the United States. Gomez is a State of Texas, Certified Mediator in conflict resolution. While in college, Gomez was nominated to the "Who's Who in Students of American Colleges & Universities," made the Deans List, the Presidents List, and was inducted into the Lamda Pi Eta Honors Society for the National Communication Association.

Gomez credits much of his college success, management strategy, practices and leadership methods to his four plus years listening and watching Gen. Joulwan's leadership, strategy, and tactics. Gomez was awarded by Gen. Joulwan the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, equivalent to a Bronze Star in peace-time, for his efforts while a "buck sergeant" before Gomez moved on to the news agency.

Gomez is pround of his wife, four daughters and one son with his children's ages 19, 18, 4, 2, and 1.