Meet the P.Y.O Photographers
Michael Chimento, Founder of Picture Yourself Out
An NJ Italian native and father of 2 children, Michael moved to Colorado in 2006. In his 25 years of teaching high school photography, he has led many students to obtain state and national level awards for their photographic works, and inspired many of them to create and sustain photo businesses of all kinds. He is currently running one of the top photo programs in the state in the Cherry Creek School District at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora.
Holding his own business he has photographed events at Ellis Island with such personalities as Ben Vereen, Mary Lou Retton, and Penny Marshall, and photographed weddings all over the country in places like Times Square, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Utah, Idaho and Colorado. He also enjoys photographing senior portraits, especially when they are of the special students he gets to teach.
Michael recently married Dr. Scott Miller, who has 2 kids of his own, and both are happily moving forward in an awesome relationship raising four children and celebrating authentic love!
Holding his own business he has photographed events at Ellis Island with such personalities as Ben Vereen, Mary Lou Retton, and Penny Marshall, and photographed weddings all over the country in places like Times Square, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, Utah, Idaho and Colorado. He also enjoys photographing senior portraits, especially when they are of the special students he gets to teach.
Michael recently married Dr. Scott Miller, who has 2 kids of his own, and both are happily moving forward in an awesome relationship raising four children and celebrating authentic love!
"Don't shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like." - David Alan Harvey
Jan Hastings
Jan grew up in a small town in Connecticut and left home to study Nursing. She joined the U.S. Army in 1973, twenty years before "Don’t ask, Don’t tell"! She was honorably discharged in 1976 and made Denver her home. There Jan furthered her education in Nursing and also did some formal study of Photography at Lowry AFB through the Army. She was always drawn to the art of Photography and had worked for a short time for two photo labs in Denver: Ataraxia and Pallas Photo. Unfortunately, with full time Nursing, Photography took a back seat in her life.
Jan’s Nursing career, here in Denver, has spanned nearly three decades. She actively cared for AIDS patients in their homes through the Visiting Nurse Association and witnessed indescribable suffering. Her practice evolved into Hospice and the compassionate care at the end of life. While working at the VNA Hospice as clinical manager, Jan met her future spouse, Katie, and was involved in guiding her into the world of Hospice. Jan and Katie were married in July of 2014 and reside in Lakewood with their 9-year-old grandson, Ayden. Jan is experiencing life through the eyes of a 9-year-old and constantly peaks his curiosity. She is stepping in to a new chapter of her life where she can let her imagination and spirit free.
Jan’s Nursing career, here in Denver, has spanned nearly three decades. She actively cared for AIDS patients in their homes through the Visiting Nurse Association and witnessed indescribable suffering. Her practice evolved into Hospice and the compassionate care at the end of life. While working at the VNA Hospice as clinical manager, Jan met her future spouse, Katie, and was involved in guiding her into the world of Hospice. Jan and Katie were married in July of 2014 and reside in Lakewood with their 9-year-old grandson, Ayden. Jan is experiencing life through the eyes of a 9-year-old and constantly peaks his curiosity. She is stepping in to a new chapter of her life where she can let her imagination and spirit free.
"A true photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.” - Ansel Adams
Jesse Hernandez
Jesse Hernandez has been photographing events, people, and architecture for over 30 years. His published works have appeared in the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Out Front Colorado, The Aurora Sentinel, Vegan Times, 303 Magazine, and Westword. He offers a custom mix of traditional and modern styles to meet and exceed all needs for portfolio work, weddings and corporate images. Jesse's passion for the art of photography is reflected in his work.
He has been the staff photographer for Opera Colorado and his ongoing clients include Ignite Theater, The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, Children’s Hospital, Subaru, The Denver Hospice, Gravity Defied Theatre, Girls Incorporated, Bakery le Sensual, The Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire, The Rocky Mountain Arts Association, and numerous musicians, artists, corporations and individuals throughout the United States. You can find his works around town in local galleries, restaurants, and sandal businesses. Contact him for recent showings and exhibits!
View more about Jesse's professional work at www.JesseHernandezPhotos.com.
He has been the staff photographer for Opera Colorado and his ongoing clients include Ignite Theater, The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, Children’s Hospital, Subaru, The Denver Hospice, Gravity Defied Theatre, Girls Incorporated, Bakery le Sensual, The Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire, The Rocky Mountain Arts Association, and numerous musicians, artists, corporations and individuals throughout the United States. You can find his works around town in local galleries, restaurants, and sandal businesses. Contact him for recent showings and exhibits!
View more about Jesse's professional work at www.JesseHernandezPhotos.com.
"The camera should be used for a recording of life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh." - Edward Weston
Patricia McInroy
Patricia McInroy is a former photojournalist who grew up in Wyoming. Her photographs have been published in Newsweek, USA Today and US News & World Report, among others. She has screened her video work in more than 20 film festivals across the United States as well as in Europe and Latin America. Additionally, her work has shown at art galleries in Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Denver and Albuquerque.
She currently teaches at the Denver School of Photography and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. Patricia graduated with an MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2007. She currently lives in Denver with her girlfriend, Jennifer and a very talkative cat named Mica.
See Patricia's website at www.patriciamcinroy.com.
She currently teaches at the Denver School of Photography and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. Patricia graduated with an MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2007. She currently lives in Denver with her girlfriend, Jennifer and a very talkative cat named Mica.
See Patricia's website at www.patriciamcinroy.com.
"My work is about my life as an event, and I find myself to be very temporal, transient." - Duane Michals
Jeffrey Rupp
Bio COMING soon!
Photographer quote