Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, here's a project that was very near and dear to me. I noticed in my years in the commercial photo industry that typically lifestyle shoots are cast with diversity in mind. Most of the time, that "diversity" seems to skip over Hispanic talent. I thought to myself, "we're just as American as any other group and we deserve to be included and celebrated in these shoots that are supposed to represent everyday Americans. So I wanted to do a commercial lifestyle shoot that highlighted and celebrated Mexican American culture. Sure we bring our own culture to the table, but we also love a typical American backyard "barbeque," and American brands like Topo Chico. The setups included a fruta spread with a new version of lotería. Some carne asada and elote on the grill, and a backyard meal spread like you'd see in any other commercial. My aim for this shoot was to cast all Hispanic talent, but in the end it ended up more like how it is in my family, with about 25% caucasians married in. This was a labor of love and I'm happy to have it out there in the world.