Taking a look back is always revealing. It?s often interesting charting back the steps towards someone?s journey in life and finding out the exact root of one?s success. I?ve always been fascinated with individuals who have found a way to take a simple hobby and somehow parlay it on to a much greater stage and such is the case with Top Rank photographer Chris Farina.
As a youth Farina spent much of his childhood bouncing from state to state before eventually relocating to Las Vegas. All the while the mild mannered Ohio native carried with him a love for photography that was instilled within him from his mother at an early age. In coming to Nevada Farina was introduced to an environment full of new opportunities and one that allowed him to take his passion for photography to the highest of levels.
As the years went by Farina found himself drawn to the sport of boxing and began attending local club shows with his camera always in hand. When eventual powerhouse Top Rank moved to town he was extremely interested in everything they brought to the table and after much networking found himself as the promoter?s personal photographer. Ever since then Farina has found himself immersed in the sport of boxing, from traveling on a constant basis, interacting with the sport?s biggest names and capturing the action from ringside at some of boxing?s most prestigious events.
Farina?s union Top Rank has opened up many doors while allowing him to further hone his skills as a photographer. While his initial interest in photography was something of pure curiosity, his time in the boxing world has been an experience all his own. I recently caught up with Farina and gathered his thoughts on his love for photography, his lessons within the boxing world, and his other passions in life. In his own words, this is what he had to say?
Childhood memories and relocating to Las Vegas? ?I was born in Ohio but I only lived there for a month. After that we moved to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, which is right outside of Pittsburgh and across the river from Three Rivers stadium. I grew there until I was about ten or eleven or so and I was a huge Steeler fan. Both sides of the families later moved to Mississippi. My grandparents were there and it was a slower pace and an all American type of town. I lived there for about five years and then came out to Las Vegas when I was in high school. My dad was in entertainment and radio so he liked the fact that there was entertainment there. He also loved the weather. My brother had asthma so he figured it might be better to be in the desert. He just liked the hot weather and we figured we could give Vegas a try and we would also be closer to Las Angeles as well.?
Stopping motion? ?My mom was an amateur photographer and one day she gave me a camera and said ?Try this out?. I was about nine or ten I think and I just started snapping pictures and I really liked it. It just stayed with me. I was about ten years old the first time I picked up a camera. I continued with it when I was in high school and I got to the point where I was more interested in it, especially in sports. I couldn?t afford lenses and things and I started building my own equipment. I built my first telephoto lens out of a tube and some binoculars. I just loved to capture the action. I remember shooting football and loving to shoot football. I always was wishing I was a Sports Illustrated type photographer. I just love capturing the action. I was enthralled by stopping motion and freezing time.?
Second career? ?Photography is like my second career. I used to be a musician when I was younger. My family played and my dad was a teacher. We all were brought up on music and that was my first career. I started playing in Vegas with my brothers and I played all over the city. I played about five different instruments including guitar, piano, and trumpet, and I played on the strip. I eventually got burnt out on music until it got to a point where I was just more into photography. I just switched over completely later on. The thing is that the music business was also so terrible to make a living. I retired from music and I still do play once a while. To me photography is so refreshing and there are so many different avenues. You just keep learning and learning.?
The right time? ?My dad was in radio and he had a radio show called the Boxing Beat. I started hanging out with him and going to fights after high school. I would go to the old show boat and the Silver Slipper shows. I would get kicked out and try to get back in but they kept kicking me out until finally they say ?Hey, let the kid shoot a little bit?. I just paid my dues for the first three or four years before I hooked up with Ring Magazine and hooked up with a local newspaper here in town just to get credentials. In the meantime I was just doing whatever odd jobs I could find in photography. I was working in a photo store too and all of that was keeping me in the loop. Later on Top Rank moved out here and I knew that they were going to be a major force. With the help of Bruce Trampler and Lee Samuels I got with Top Rank. Bruce really opened the door for me because he suggested that I should talk to them I went down and he got me an interview with everybody and they told me to start shooting stuff and helping them with what they needed. That?s how it came about and I had also opened up a studio and that really helped me because I could do all there work and whatever they need. This was back in 1988 and it was just the right time.”
A learning experience? ?It?s always been a learning experience. I just didn?t shoot back in 1988 the way that I do now. It was a constant learning experience and I think the fact that Top Rank allowed me to learn and allowed me to keep getting better was very key. I think you need someone to stand behind you and support you and they were that company and that vehicle. I started out slow for them doing small work and over time it just evolved it where I am just doing everything related to photography. I kind of made the position. They never had this position before, for a personal photographer, but I made the position.?
The joy of Manny Pacquiao? ?I have such a bad memory that I may be wrong on this but I think my first Manny Pacquiao was against Ledwaba. It was either that fight or the fight after. All I know is that as soon as Top Rank got hooked up with him I have been there. The thing about Manny is that he is such a joy to work with. I realize that he is such a huge superstar and a big icon in the Philippines and a living legend to some people. And I respect him as a fighter but he is such a joy to work with. He doesn?t look at everybody else in a certain way as if to say ?Hey, I?m this big star? like other fighters did or still do. Even today I will ask him for a favor and it will never be a problem. He always gives his time and he?s just so accommodating. His time has become more valuable in the last year or so but I still try to nudge him once a while and ask him for favors. He?ll still let me get in my special requests.?
(Check out Chris Farina’s exclusive Manny Pacquiao gallery)
The key to Pacquiao?s success? ?With Manny, all I see is that he just gets better and better and better. Freddie has also been doing an amazing job. I don?t know what he eats or what he does but he just keeps getting better. That?s what I see in every one of his fights. He?s one of those fighters who just keeps learning. He keeps changing his tactics going into every fight but he finds a way to make it work. He?s also always in tremendous shape, one of the best in-shape athletes I have ever seen. He?s just very dedicated and I think that is the key to his success. He?s a superior athlete.?
Other fighters throughout the years? ?A lot of the Top Rank fighters I really got along with very such as guys like Johnny Tapia, Paulie Ayala, Carlos Hernandez. Those type of guys were just a joy to work with. Even new guys like Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey are just really great people. Juan Manuel Lopez is also a great guy. Kelly Pavlik is another one. Top Rank brings this guys in and they are just professional and joy to work with.?
Bob Arum and the class of Top Rank? ?To me Bob Arum is just a down to earth guy. I know that he is a multi-millionaire but I?ve known him and he?s almost like a regular type of guy. If you show him respect he will show it back and to me he?s just old school. If you don?t get in his way he won?t get in your way and he?s not a judgmental kind of guy. He treats your fair; otherwise I might not have stayed with him that long. I?ve worked with everybody in boxing, from Don King all the way up and down, and Top Rank is the best organization, the most organized company, the most prepared, and the most first class. Of course they make there mistakes and all but in the long run they are always motivated and always looking for talent. They are also only looking for champions. They don?t just have fighters or stable of guys who they just throw around, they look for champions. To me, as far as promotions, we have the best guys. We have the best writers, the best PR people, the best promoter, and the best staff. I love going places with these guys and there are hardly any problems. There is no crisis that can?t be fixed and they are just easy to work with.?
The real reward? ?I have a lot of boxing friends, from photographers to writers, and a lot of fans also approach me. I think what I enjoy is that a lot of people come up to me and approach me and say ?Hey, Chris, how are you doing??. People come up to me and say great things and to me that is just a kick in the pants. I don?t know these people but for them to come up to me and recognize my work and want to take pictures with me and stuff is a real reward. Those kind of people are my friends in boxing and the ones who I enjoy.?
Outside of boxing? ?The few times I?m not doing boxing I do conventions. I love conventions and I have so many different clients I also try to accommodate. When I?m not doing conventions I?ll do entertainment and big awards show. I have covered the Golden Globes in Los Angeles and I?ll be at the Oscars in March. Whenever I can get an Awards show in or a red carpet event I will do that.?
Las Vegas? ?The thing about Las Vegas is that it is an intriguing town and it can eat you up and spit out if you?re not careful. If you don?t have any discipline you shouldn?t live in Vegas. I mean it?s a fun town and it?s really an adult Disneyland. You have to be careful because there?s gambling, drinking, women, and the whole bit. It can be really bad but it can be really good. The town where I grew up I have a lot of great memories and it was just like any other town except you are like five miles from the strip. I love Vegas, I really do but I now find myself in Los Angeles more.?
Los Angeles? ?The thing about LA is that everything is spread out and you have to travel and plan your day traveling no matter where you are going to go. There is a lot more to do in LA, there is a lot of culture, and a lot of historic things there. There is also the beaches and ocean activities and a lot of things you can do there you can?t do in Las Vegas. I?m based out of Vegas and I have been for a while but I have an apartment in LA. Still I find myself in Vegas often because Top Rank is based out of there and they always are staging events out there. Outside of that, when I?m not in the mood to do something in Vegas I will go to Los Angeles and vice versa.?
