A native Californian, Gary Orona was born in 1964. His photographic talents landed him a a job as photographer for the Ventura (California) Star Free Press at age 18. By age 22 he had his degree in film production from Columbia and was rapidly becoming a director/cameraman of note. A world traveler and extreme outdoor enthusiast, Orona was picked by EMI Records in Tokyo, Japan, to produce/direct/photograph over 100 music