SAN ANTONIO — It is said he has photographic grace and grit. San Antonio native Al Rendón is internationally acclaimed with work in the Smithsonian collection. The photographer has a new exhibit at the Witte Museum. It is comprised of 50 years of his work.
It includes a photograph he took of Selena no one has seen before.
"I would have never thought when I went to that first concert in 1973 that 50 years later here, we would be," he said.
The new exhibition is called 'Mi Cultura Bringing Shadows Into the Light.'
"Being a photographer in San Antonio my whole life, it is kind of like you can't just photograph all the happy moments, there's going to be sad moments," he said.
The exhibit took Rendón nearly three years to put together, and each room captures moments in time and faces he won't forget.
"When you see the photo you remember being there, you remember the person," Rendón said.
In his archive of work, Rendón stumbled upon a never-before seen photo of Selena. It dates back to 1990, and was taken in the Alamo City.
"I thought I had gathered all the photos I had of her in one place," he said. "Somehow this got overlooked because it was on a partial roll."
The San Antonio native has taken countless photos of the Queen of Tejano music. At one point, he snapped the opportunity of a lifetime, the 1992 Selena album cover: 'Entre a Mi Mundo.'
"So, they gave me a last-minute call and said would you do a photo shoot," he said. "I said absolutely. I am ready."
Since he was a teen, Rendón has taken photos of many icons. However, his greatest inspiration is home.
"My favorites are of our culture like the charreada, Conjunto and Tejano," he said.
His passion is reflected in his work, and Rendón hopes this exhibit will open more than people's eyes.
"I have always tried to create an aesthetic where there is going to be good technical value to the image," he said. "But, on top of that, you want people to look at your photo and feel something."
More than 61 photographs are a part of the exhibit, which will run through January 7.