We were lucky to catch up with Gloria Rodriguez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gloria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Is there a lesson you learned in school that’s stuck with you and has meaningfully impacted your journey?

I received my college degree in education. I stand firm that this has benefited me immensely in my career as a portrait photographer. I learned from early on how unique and individual each child is. Each one deserves to be treated as such. They definitely don’t go by “one size fits all”. Even more true is that each child appreciates when you treat them with respect and do your best to understand their needs. Portrait sessions can be stressful for children especially if their parents are anxious. They naturally sense the energy and as the photographer, I’ve learned that one of my biggest responsibilities is to ease this from the start even before they walk in the studio door. A lot of the worries can be eliminated by walking parents through the process beforehand and letting them know that you allow children to be themselves and that you as the photographer will allow the child to lead with gentle coercion. It’s parallel to being a teacher on the first day of school. You have plans which are adjusted multiple times throughout the day. The outcome is more often than not better than what you could have imagined.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I founded my photography business back in 2011. Throughout my childhood, I saw first-hand the value of memory making through photographs. My parents migrated from Cuba and only had photographs to show the life they had to leave behind. They have these in a small box in a drawer that holds this past which neither my siblings nor myself ever got to experience. As I grew up, my father continued capturing memories for us from behind his camera. He had a darkroom which I never got to see but was told about with a glimmer in his eyes. I saw the passion and love he had for this hobby. Once I was older and in college, I chose to go into education mainly because I love working with children. Once I became a mother, I had the opportunity to take photography courses and learn the craft while on leave from teaching. This unexpected fork in the road completely changed my path. I was in awe of how I could freeze my daughter’s expressions and personality through the images I captured of her. I then had my second little girl and realized that photography was what I wanted to pursue. My daughters helped me understand for myself how quickly things change and how precious moments are. I am grateful for the support I had from my family and friends who believed in me so much that it gave me the courage to take the leap without looking back. I know how vulnerable some families feel when they allow me into their lives. I appreciate the trust they give me…when I hold their newborn baby, ask their toddler to step into a puddle or just look into one another’s eyes as if I’m not there. It’s a risk to know that I am capturing all of you. There is a bond created during that vulnerability which brings silent understanding, a sense of freedom and just joy knowing that magic happened.
I believe that one of the things that sets me apart is that I keep things simple. I love photographs where the focus is the child or person in the image. I try not to clutter or distract. I like clean images where you see the person, the real person whether it’s a young child’s silliness or a newborn’s ten tiny toes. Another thing that sets me apart is that I genuinely want to learn about my families before, during and after our sessions. I want to connect with my families. They are never really “clients”. I don’t ever want them to feel that I am doing my job. My job is a pleasure. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else at this point besides portrait photography. I get to learn about each family as they share their vision with me and then get to create beautiful memories for them. It’s an honor and a blessing.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As you’ve read, I also have a love of teaching particularly children. I believe that they have uninhibited curiosity and limitless potential. When you put those two together, the possibility for creativity is immense. I try to share my knowledge with children of all ages that show an interest in photography. For five summers, I have hosted a photography camp setup as workshops for teenagers. These teens have learned how to not only use a camera in full manual mode but also how to understand creative rules and when to break them. They have learned how to look at things from different perspectives using a camera as an artistic tool and form of expression. It’s been wonderful seeing some of them become yearbook club presidents at their high schools and others create incredible social media pages displaying their photographic journey.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Being in the photography industry requires lots of resilience. It’s a tough business with lots of competition and sacrifices to be made. There’s also lots of comparison via social media nowadays which can make anyone second guess themselves whether as a professional or individual. It’s important when on these platforms, to see other photographers and learn from them rather than seeing them as someone you want to emulate. I also made a tough decision early on that I would solely focus on portrait photography specializing in newborn, maternity, children and families. It limited the amount of work I took which reflected monetarily but I am a firm believer that doing what you love is essential. And when you truly love something, it shows. It will also allow you to shine and grow in due time. We all have a different path and do things at our own pace. I would say that I have taken the slower pace since I focused much of the onset years of my business putting my family first when my girls were young. As they have shifted into teenagers, my approach is changing, and I hope to continue to grow more each day. It’s all a learning process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.glopinkstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glopinkstudios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glopinkstudios