Rajiv Marah and El Amir in the winner’s circle at Aqueduct (~ RAYMOND)

You may have noticed a new photographer in the regular rotation here at GbG. In addition to the excellent imagery of Sarah K. Andrew, Charles Pravata, Jessie Holmes, and Jay (a.k.a., Easy Goer), please welcome Raymond Haddad to the mix!

I first noticed his work from last year’s Breeders’ Cup and struck up a friendly Flickr conversation with him, mainly because I was commenting on all his work! He’s very prolific with one of the most frequently updated photostreams of all of the folks I follow on flickr. His work ranges from portraiture to classic scene and street work. Definitely check out his non-racing work as well!

Around the last week of Aqueduct I started to notice racing shots in his photostream. It seems he has been bitten by the racing bug and has been shooting regularly at Belmont since it’s opening!

In addition to shooting the races, he’s been shooting the jockeys and various NYRA employees. He’s doing a great job of showing the overall vibe of a track and telling the story of Belmont in a very direct, journalistic way that also has a personally inquisitive touch often lacking in photojournalism.

He’s also not shying away from the harsh realities of racing. Included in his recent work are two heart wrenching shots of the recent breakdown and euthanasia of Megalodon yesterday at Belmont.

I’m happy to see someone get so excited about racing, particularly during it’s darkest hour. Welcome to the mix Raymond, we’re glad you’re here!