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7DAYS´INTERVIEW: Dominique Martinez Lopez  Capture your special moments - forever in a snapshot! By Sonia Golt The title of this interview/article is taken from the promotion brochure of Dominique Martinez Lopez business card for with her camera in hand this is what she does for many. This photographer has been in the photographic business for years and has captured many special moments! Locally Dominique is well known for a variety of reasons and the most recent one being for her acting ability, the last few sketches and plays she has participated in have been varied, her comedy sketch as a drunken Tango dancer was superb in the Seruya Nights last November, as was the Panto Princess in Alice in Wonderland. She also took part in "Yesterday when I was young" and as a most sexy and funny Eve in the Play "Holiday Snap" - I think she is born to be an actress, a comedy actress even better! She has the knack for acting and could have done very well in this field. Probably something she could have gone for, even professionally, after having won the coveted title of "Miss Gibraltar" in 1986 and the Miss Personality title at the Miss World Pageant too. But that is not all as in early 2009 her participation in "Let's Dance" on television took her to the finals and was only one point away from obtaining the title! Dominique believes "That all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy" so she ensures that even though her business is already a very creative one with photography, she still knows how to find hobbies that she enjoys. "The dance contest was so much fun and it all brought back fond memories of my Miss Gibraltar days - The lights, the smoke, Wind and make-up." Dominique was born at St. Mary's Hospital in London. As a young child, she spent many years travelling due to her father, Clive, being a casino Director, and she loved every minute of the experience of travelling even though it meant changing schools often and always leaving friends behind. "I schooled a short while at St.Mary´s First School in Gibraltar, also in Marrakech and at East court Independent school in London but my teens were spent in Palma de Mallorca where I studied at King's College Palma." Dominique, is a very young grandmother and she loves her baby so much she looks for time off to baby sit even if that means pushing some other hobby aside! She is also always ready, willing and able to help in charity events. "Well you know me Sonia, I always like to help anyway I can especially for charity events. I think people in Gibraltar are very charitable and I want to also contribute to whatever charity asks me for help." Tell me about your experiences in beauty contests? "Whilst in Gibraltar, and at the age of 4 my parents put me down for Miss Infant pageant held at the grand parade during fair week which was my first ever title. I hardly remember this although I have seen photos but on returning to Gibraltar when I was 18 years old I thought a good way to meet people and become part of the community was to re-enter a local beauty pageant. I entered the Miss Casino 1985, winning the title and this is what made me confident about entering the Miss Gibraltar Contest - In London at Miss World I took the title of Miss personality 1986 too. It was very surreal at the Royal Albert Hall. The contestants went to China and Macao that year when it was still British. I think that Pageants generally have not changed much, except that no extensions were allowed or false nails and certainly no plastic surgery. I understand that those rules have now changed to keep up with the times. As Miss Gibraltar, I spent 3 months promoting Gibraltar in UK with the Minister of tourism of the time. I became a proud Gibraltarian and immediately felt part of the community. I met my first husband William Gomez Junior during the Miss Gibraltar contest and got married shortly after I finished my reign." What has work meant to you? "I wanted to work in tourism as in Mallorca where I thought I would spend my working life, revolves around tourism so when I cam to Gibraltar instead I worked at the Montarik Hotel and Rock Hotel and later at Canon Travel. Keeping within my original tourism idea and working with people, which is what I really enjoy. I then wanted to run my own business and opened a fish shop called The Fish Plaice. At that time, The Gibraltar Women's business network was formed and I am a proud to have been a young founding member as it has grown from strength to strength since then…of which I am still a member today. By then my first son Christopher was born and I could manage my business as well as being a mother. It was later that my father started a photographic business at the Coach park, taking photos of tourists and selling the photos as souvenirs. When my father had to move to South America, I worked on both businesses opting to close one and dedicate myself to photography." Dominique is still after 25 years, running this same company PHOTOFINISH at the Coach park. "As a photographer I have found a niche for my creative talents, and a way of being involved with the tourist trade again although differently to what I had previously envisaged." Dominique's photography expanded into special events and functions, plays, beauty pageants, weddings, and social parties. At the 2007 Spring Festival Dominic exhibited her photos at Casemates Exhibition Gallery in an art exhibition with a difference, featuring her artistic expressions in photography. "I have been married twice and from my second marriage I have a son called Matthew, he is just 10 years old. And as you previously mention, my eldest made me a grandmother and I have a beautiful granddaughter called Ellah. I have always loved making and collecting Dollhouses and miniatures as I enjoy this tremendously, I sell many at fairs but I still keep a growing collection. Now it may be inherited by my grand daughter!" Dominique loves to have her family around as well as enjoying her business and her many hobbies. How can she do it all, one wonders! "I enjoy the company of my ever growing family. I enjoy spending time with My mother, my Father and my step-mum , my step brother Bruno , I have three wonderful brothers, my Dutch brother Marvan and my two local brothers Clive and Dino who have given me 6 nephews and nieces between them . However, my two sons Christopher and Matthew and my granddaughter Ellah, are my weak point and Ellah is the greatest achievement thanks to Christopher and Kaireen…" How does one classify a woman with so much to offer… maybe a Superwoman! SUPER WOMAN
When you get up in the morning
Open the fridge to make breakfast
Look at yourself in the mirror
Drive in the chaos of traffic
When you arrive at the office
At the end of a long day
On arrival at your flat
Soon enough the hubby enters
Does anyone ever wonder
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