We recently connected with Estefana Najera and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Estefana, thanks for joining us today. Has Covid resulted in any major changes to your business model?

Covid-19 was definitely a tough event to go through. Especially as a business owner. Restrictions took place, lock downs, people not being able to go out. It was a surreal experience. Although it was a dark time to live in, one thing I decided to do was concentrate on our website. Specifically SEO. I decided to write a blog featuring, “How to propose during COVID-19”. After a few days, it rose to page one of google and was even above the New York Times. It felt great to see my post getting clicks and gaining traffic to our website. Since then, we’ve been doing a lot of jobs pertaining to surprise proposals thanks to that blog post!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Sam and I are wedding photographers based in Austin Texas. I moved to Austin in 2010 to pursue criminal justice, but changed my major to photography in 2012. On my very first day of the new semester, I met Sam. We went through the whole photography program together and later decided not only to make a business together, but to get married. (About to hit 10 years of marriage in 2026!)

The thing that we’re most proud of is letting our clients be themselves. Specifically those within the LGBTQ community. We show it loud and proud that we are not only supporters, but also within the community ourselves. Not every business is supportive and we’re thankful we can be among those that are. We’ve been told several times that finding a photographer that’s open about their support is actually a bit difficult and scary. It brings us joy knowing our clients can not only come to us to be themselves, but to showcase their love without judgement. It’s a wonderful feeling.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Being kind to other photographers. Yes, that’s a thing! I don’t know if being a creative, it’s a contractual obligation to be rude to others within your field but I can tell you that it truly doesn’t need to be that way. I too was in that same mind set for a while. But after doing a few styled shoots early on in my career, I realized this mentality was absolutely outrageous. I’ve met so many wonderful photographers & videographers in the field and have recommended them to others when we’re not available. The stigma of giving a cold should to other creatives is ridiculous. By making connections, you’re actually helping your business! I definitely recommend throwing out the negativity and making some friends. It’s totally worth it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Capturing moments for the family. Recently, we lost my brother-in-law and it’s been an up and down road since. But the thing that has kept our spirits up is looking back at old photos of him. Brings back wonderful memories and it gives us a way to relive the good ol’ days. With being a wedding photographer, you’re capturing moments of the family on a particular day that brings a lot of joy. When the unfortunate day comes that a loved one has departed, they can look back at the photos we took and feel joy seeing that loved one again. Stories will be shared, future generations will get to see the past in photos. It’s a privilege being able to offer that to each family that hires us. We’re so thankful to be in this creative field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.photographybyestefana.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photographybyestefana
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/EstefanasPhotography
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@photographybyestefana?si=F7O33k_u6Q4-GHjU
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@photographybyestefana?_t=8lSfOgPMpLf&_r=1

Image Credits
Photography by Estefana, Contigo Ranch, 800 Congress, Sekrit Theater & Zilker Botanical Gardens.