Emilio Bañuelos worked as a consultant and photographer for El Vanguardia, in Mexico and El Panama-America, in Panama after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism. He has also worked as an editorial photographer for publications in Illinois, Hawaii, and California. Since returning to the Bay Area, he has worked as an Arts Educator for the San Jose Museum of Art, as an instructor in high schools, as well as, the University of Coahuila's School of Communication and the University of California Santa Cruz Extension. Emilio's documentary work on religious rituals in Mexico earned him a fellowship from the Poynter Institute, an award from the College Photographer of the Year competition, and the Marty Forscher Fellowship for Humanistic Photography. He was also a participant in the Missouri Photo Workshop and The Eddie Adams Workshop.