!["The USS Hornet is the largest surviving artifact of the Apollo program and we have an award-winning Apollo exhibit on board," according to a [cq comment="press" ]new release. "The USS Hornet is the largest surviving artifact of the Apollo program and we have an award-winning Apollo exhibit on board," according to a [cq comment="press" ]new release.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EBT-L-APOLLO-0722-11.jpg?w=132)
![Ray Chavez, staff photographer, the East Bay Times, for his Wordpress profile. (Michael Malone/Bay Area News Group)](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Chavez_Ray_2016.jpg?w=85)
Ray Chavez
Ray Chavez is a Bay Area News Group photographer for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. Ray was hired as Lab Tech at the Oakland Tribune in 1994 and was later promoted to full-time staff photographer for the Alameda Newspapers Group, now the Bay Area News Group. Chavez,a native of Mexico City, has won multiple awards, including Photographer of the Year for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Society of Professional Journalists Chi-Sigma-Delta, Headliners Award and the Ruben Salazar Award, among others. Ray was part of the team with the East Bay Times that won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News for coverage of the "Ghost Ship" fire. In 2019, he was part of a Bay Area News Group and Chico Enterprise Record team whose coverage of the Camp Fire was recognized as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the Breaking News category. Ray enjoys the outdoors and covering assignments rain or shine everywhere in the great San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Si Se Puede!
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Language: Spanish
Awards: Pulitzer Prize (2017 - Staff award for breaking news coverage of the fatal "Ghost Ship" fire in Oakland), Pulitzer Prize (2019 breaking news category finalist as a member of the Chico Enterprise Record and Bay Area News Group team that covered the Camp Fire)
Expertise: Breaking news, features and sports photography
All Stories
!["The USS Hornet is the largest surviving artifact of the Apollo program and we have an award-winning Apollo exhibit on board," according to a [cq comment="press" ]new release. "The USS Hornet is the largest surviving artifact of the Apollo program and we have an award-winning Apollo exhibit on board," according to a [cq comment="press" ]new release.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EBT-L-APOLLO-0722-11.jpg?w=132)
![Residents brave the heat to attend San Jose’s Rose, White and Blue Parade and Alameda's Fourth of July parade. Residents brave the heat to attend San Jose’s Rose, White and Blue Parade and Alameda's Fourth of July parade.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SJM-L-RWBPARADE-0705-3.jpg?w=132)
Photos: Annual Fourth of July parades roll in Alameda and San Jose as heat wave continues
![The planned community, built from scratch, will gain more control over city planning, economic development and policing. The planned community, built from scratch, will gain more control over city planning, economic development and policing.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SJM-L-MTHOUSE-07XX-7.jpg?w=132)
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Mountain House gives California something it hasn’t seen in a decade
![Thousands of festivalgoers attended Saturday's 5th annual Lakefest at Lake Merritt in Oakland. Thousands of festivalgoers attended Saturday's 5th annual Lakefest at Lake Merritt in Oakland.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/EBT-L-LAKEFEST-0625-2.jpg?w=132)
Photos: 5th annual Lakefest in Oakland
![Inaugural La Onda Latin music festival, Mexican artists, concert, music festival, Napa Valley, Inaugural La Onda Latin music festival, Mexican artists, concert, music festival, Napa Valley,](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SJM-L-LAONDA-0603-13.jpg?w=132)
Photos: Day One of the inaugural La Onda Latin music festival
![The perfect sunny spring weather and the location attracted hundreds of visitors to the free family event as a celebration of the San Francisco Bay local wildlife. The perfect sunny spring weather and the location attracted hundreds of visitors to the free family event as a celebration of the San Francisco Bay local wildlife.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBT-L-BERKBAY-0429-6.jpg?w=132)
Photos: Hundreds enjoy Berkeley Bay Festival
![A valedictorian of Oakland's police academy, Jordan Wingate was a young cadet whose career was cut short right out the gate. A valedictorian of Oakland's police academy, Jordan Wingate was a young cadet whose career was cut short right out the gate.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EBT-L-WINGATE-0427-3.jpg?w=132)
Oakland ‘Rookie of the Year’ cop remembered for his humor, passion
![The Persian community celebrated their New Year at the second annual Nowruz Market 1403 in Oakland on Saturday afternoon. The Persian community celebrated their New Year at the second annual Nowruz Market 1403 in Oakland on Saturday afternoon.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SJM-L-NOWRUZ-03XX-3.jpg?w=132)
Photos: Persian New Year celebration in Oakland
![A Pleasanton homicide suspect was found dead Thursday afternoon from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his crashed vehicle on Interstate 580 in the Castro Valley area after a standoff with police, authorities said. A Pleasanton homicide suspect was found dead Thursday afternoon from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his crashed vehicle on Interstate 580 in the Castro Valley area after a standoff with police, authorities said.](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/EBT-L-580SHOOT-0308-1.jpg?w=132)
East Bay homicide suspect found dead from reported suicide in vehicle on freeway after standoff with police
![Supporters of the A's and other Oakland sports teams and clubs turn out for annual event Supporters of the A's and other Oakland sports teams and clubs turn out for annual event](https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BNG-L-FANSFEST-0225-33.jpg?w=132)