We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Perez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever photographed happened early in my photography career. A family reached out to schedule a session celebrating their young daughter’s remission from cancer.

On the surface, it was a happy session. There were smiles, laughter, and a little girl who was finally getting to be a kid again. But underneath it all, you could feel what that family had been carrying for so long.

As a photographer, you spend a lot of time observing people. What struck me wasn’t just the joy. It was the relief. It felt like the entire family was finally able to exhale after holding their breath for months, maybe years.

I remember watching the parents interact with their daughter and realizing that this session wasn’t really about photographs. It was about documenting a chapter they fought incredibly hard to reach. The images represented hope, resilience, and the simple gift of getting to move forward together.

That experience changed the way I view photography. Before then, I thought I was capturing beautiful images. After that session, I understood that sometimes you’re preserving evidence of survival, healing, and love.

Years later, I still think about that family. Whenever I photograph a senior preparing to leave home, a couple celebrating an engagement, or a family gathering together, I remember that photographs often become more valuable with time. They help us hold onto moments that we never fully appreciate until they’ve passed.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

My name is Jessica “Jess” Perez, and I’m the owner and photographer behind Lux Viera Photography, a Brevard County photography business serving families, seniors, couples, and weddings throughout Florida’s Space Coast.

When I launched Lux Viera Photography in 2019, I was still teaching full-time, a profession I dedicated nearly 18 years of my life to. Like many small business owners, I started with a camera, a creative outlet, and a lot of late nights after work.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that teaching had already prepared me for photography. Every day in the classroom, I learned how to connect with people, build trust quickly, and help individuals feel comfortable enough to be themselves. Those same skills now help me create natural, authentic images for my clients.

Today I photograph senior portraits, families, engagements, surprise proposals, and weddings across Brevard County and the gorgeous Space Coast. While beautiful images matter, what matters most to me is helping people preserve the moments they’ll want to remember years from now.

Some of my most meaningful sessions have involved families celebrating a child’s remission from cancer, couples beginning their lives together, and parents documenting milestones before their children leave home. Those experiences have taught me that photography is about far more than pictures. It’s about preserving a piece of a family’s history.

That perspective is deeply personal for me. I was the first college graduate in my family, and today I’m raising two amazing children who are pursuing their own paths. My daughter is a pilot and future aerospace engineering student, while my son is a high school basketball player known for his kindness and the way he treats others. Watching them grow into themselves has reinforced something I see every day through my lens: the moments that seem ordinary today often become the ones we treasure most later.

What I’m most proud of isn’t a particular image or award. It’s the trust my clients place in me during some of the most meaningful chapters of their lives. My goal has always been simple: create beautiful photographs while helping people feel seen, valued, and remembered.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my life happened after spending nearly 18 years as a teacher. Education was never just a job to me. It was part of my identity. I loved helping students grow and believed I would spend my entire career in the classroom.

While I was still teaching, I started Lux Viera Photography in 2019 as a creative outlet. What began as something I did on evenings and weekends slowly grew into a business. At the same time, I found myself becoming increasingly interested in marketing, branding, and storytelling from a business perspective.

There wasn’t a single moment when I decided to change careers. It happened gradually. One opportunity led to another, and eventually I found myself stepping into the marketing world while continuing to grow my photography business.

The transition was exciting, but it was also scary. Starting over in a new field after nearly two decades can make you question yourself. There were plenty of moments when I wondered if I was making the right decision.

Looking back, that pivot taught me that reinvention isn’t something to fear. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my life happened because I was willing to let go of the idea that I had to stay on the same path forever. Today I still carry lessons from teaching into everything I do, whether I’m working in marketing or photographing a family, senior, or wedding client.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe my reputation has been built on creating an experience that feels personal, thoughtful, and effortless for my clients.

Photography is about so much more than taking beautiful images. Most people don’t spend their days in front of a camera, so my goal is to help clients feel comfortable, confident, and genuinely present in the moment. When people feel at ease, the photographs naturally become more authentic.

I’ve also learned that details matter. Clear communication, preparation, reliability, and consistency are just as important as the final gallery. I want every client to feel cared for from our first conversation through image delivery.

Much of my business has grown through referrals and repeat clients, which I’m incredibly grateful for. Some families have invited me back to document multiple milestones in their lives, and there’s no greater compliment than being trusted to preserve those memories.

At the end of the day, I want clients to walk away with more than beautiful photographs. I want them to feel like their story mattered and that it was documented with care.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.luxVieraphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxvieraphotography?igsh=bWpycnpvcjZjZzAx&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18Ftgdz1eF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits

Jessica Perez at Lux Viera Photography