For Felix Marquez, snapping the perfect shot takes a little bit of luck and a whole lot of tries.
The Manassas resident shot more than 300 photos at the America’s Polo Club in Potomac, but it was one particularly graceful image that caught his eye.
The shot, which captures Marines in a drill celebrating the match, impressed the judges of a National Geographic photo contest as well. Marquez was one of 8,110 photographers who entered the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest, and won his category, “Festivals and Celebrations.”
“The uniqueness of it is that both the rifles in the arms of both the Marines are at the peak of the action just before they come down,” Marquez said. “The rifles are making a unique shape.”
Marquez’s passion for photography stems from his childhood in Latin America, during which he would borrow his mother’s Brownie camera.
“That was my favorite toy,” Marquez said. “Those photographs that I took were probably the best photos I have ever taken.”
Those memories aren’t just idle nostalgia for Marquez. He sees those innocent photographs as models for his work.
“Part of the reason why I do photography is that I hope to come full circle someday and be able to take similar photographs as when I was a kid,” Marquez said.
