We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dale Washington a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dale, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents taught me to never give up on what you want to do in life . To always fight for what is right . To always share what you have to others in need . I have learned in life we are to serve others, when people are hungry we ne to feed them , when they need warm clothes we are to help them .
My father was Santa Claus Almeida, he was born Virgil Almeida. As a child he was one of 26 children they had very little. At Christmas they received what they needed not what they wanted. In 1996 my dad went to court and has his named changed to Santa Claus Almeida. My father was Santa all year long giving to children in need. At Christmas he did his best work , every child that ask for something he made sure that they received what they wanted. He would purchase items all year long to make sure every child had a gift.
So, I have learned that we all.need to help and stand by each other, to always give back.
Life is about giving not receiving.

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.

Dale Washington is an adventurous published photographer based in Alamogordo, New Mexico. When trying to find myself and my career goals,
I pursued careers such as
cosmetology and the medical field, being a nurse. However,
I would eventually fall in love with my true passion years later as a photographer.
Starting my small business, Lil Pinky’s
Photography, in 2017, she would grow to capture landscaping, ocean, wildlife , and people as a fun and creative
hobby. My purpose for photography is the love to capture memories and freeze them in time. I have been gifted the
photography opportunity of being featured on the cover of the New Mexico Outdoor magazine. with
published images in twenty six other magazines. While enjoying her
peace in the mountains and walking with the elk, I am sure to live up to my late
father santa clause Almeida and a boxer
for the Marines motto, “No
matter what life hands you, don’t put your gloves down, live
every second of your life and never give up!”

What sets me aside from others is the love I have for all humans no matter their status in this world. I believe in helping women love who there are no matter their size, age or race . I want all women to look in a mirror and say to themselves ” I AM ENOUGH”!

I am proud that I have had opportunities to be a published photographer and model for multiple magazines. Most of all I am proud that I have lived my life as my parents would want me to .

I thank my parents and God for all that I am. I look forward to the opportunity to freeze moments in time with other clients .

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe you need to communicate and be patient with your clients.

Taking time to get to know the client and making sure they are comfortable with me as their photographer.

I don’t believe in rushing a session, I want the client to be relaxed and enjoy their session. Adding fun and laughter to any session is the key.

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

I have multiple stories, one is learning the habits of elk. It took me a year and half to learn when and how to walk with elk . One step at a time. The position of my hands, the slowness of my walk and the love for them has allowed me to.walk in the woods about 4 feet from them for miles. They are so amazing.

Having a disease that has no cure has giving me a love for life . I live every second of my life. I have had many people say ” you don’t look sick” but, what they don’t see is the pain after a session or the treatments I go through.
No matter what I am going through I want to be a witness to others who may be inflicted with something.

Live life and freeze moments in time

Contact Info:

• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Lil Pinky’s Photography