Richard Ontiveros-Gima, aka The Hapa Blonde, on Shooting NBA Street Style
Richard Ontiveros-Gima, also referred to as The Hapa Blonde, is a photographer based in New York with Hawaiian roots. He rose to prominence by capturing images of NBA players outside hotels during the pandemic, initially starting this venture with his friend Fredo in varying weather conditions. His photography caught the attention of LeagueFits, leading to collaborations with clients such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jordan Clarkson during fashion weeks. A graduate of 2014, Ontiveros-Gima has studied in Oman, London, Egypt, Thailand, and Dubai, and previously worked in hotel sales before joining TMZ. He created his Instagram account in September 2019, rapidly attracting followers, partly due to tags from Kim Kardashian. He is now interested in long-term projects and may shift his focus to women's sports, particularly the WNBA.
Key facts
- Richard Ontiveros-Gima works under the name The Hapa Blonde, a reference to his Hawaiian roots and hair color
- He began photographing NBA players leaving hotels during the pandemic with a friend named Fredo
- His work gained visibility through LeagueFits, an Instagram account affiliated with SLAM magazine
- Jordan Clarkson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hired him as a personal photographer during New York and Paris fashion weeks
- He graduated in 2014 after studying in Oman, London, Egypt, Thailand, and Dubai, then moved to New York
- He worked at TMZ filming celebrities before turning to photography
- He started his Instagram account in September 2019 and reached about 20,000 followers in six months with help from Kim Kardashian's tags
- His audience split is 49.6 percent male and 50.4 percent female
Entities
Artists
- Richard Ontiveros-Gima
- Jordan Clarkson
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Russell Westbrook
- Kyle Kuzma
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo
- Angel Reese
- A'ja Wilson
- Serena Williams
- Kim Kardashian
- Kendall Jenner
- Hailey Bieber
- Adam Glyn
- Kyle Smith
- Kyrie Irving
- Fredo
- Jonathan Van Meter
- Dominique Wells
Institutions
- TMZ
- LeagueFits
- SLAM
- Four Seasons
- The London
- New York Giants
- NBA
- WNBA
- Met Gala
- The Tonight Show
- Good Morning America
- CULTURED
Locations
- Hawaii
- United States
- New York
- Paris
- France
- Oman
- London
- United Kingdom
- Egypt
- Thailand
- Dubai
- United Arab Emirates