We were lucky to catch up with Maria Alcantara recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maria, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I take candid portraits and images of people because I’m looking to connect with their personality, not how well they can pose for the camera. I also really believe that kids should be allowed to move freely when having their picture taken. When I look through my childhood photo album, the pictures I connect with the most are the quick snapshots. They immediately communicate a mood that brings up memories and feelings.

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

I’m Maria Alcantara and I work as a family photographer specializing in candid, storyteller type sessions. My work is casual, relaxed, and is sometimes inspired by tv and cinema, but mostly inspired by people. I grew up watching a lot of television, old movies, flipping through fashion magazines, and listening to lots of music. My creative career began as a graphic designer working freelance and at various corporations in Los Angeles and here in Seattle.

After having my son, I left the corporate world because I wasn’t feeling fulfilled as an artist. I had put that part of me on hold due to burnout and not feeling happy with corporate demands and personalities. I took some time off and during that process I began to unravel emotionally and mentally. I had completely lost sight of who I was and where I thought my place in this world was as a person and as an artist. I knew myself well enough to realize that if I didn’t have some sort of creative project to solve, I wouldn’t be a happy person. I think the greatest gift that any artist can give themselves is time. Time to sit with your thoughts, no interruptions, no distractions, and definitely no outside opinions. Having my son and being at home with him for those long days forced me to observe and do some necessary reflection.

Before I took my design education to university, I would take fine arts classes at night at the local community college. A few days during the week, I would watch the daytime photography students walk across campus just as I was starting my nighttime classes. And I was annoyed that I wasn’t able to explore this elusive subject because I had to work during the day to make ends meet. That is how I put myself through college – working in the daytime and immediately going to class 3-4 nights a week for 4+ years. The return to photography came from my need to take photos of my son. My encouraging husband purchased my first real camera lens – a Sigma Art lens that I still have. In the beginning, I was completely self-taught because I had nothing but time to play with camera settings and spend hours looking at how-to videos.

Photography has felt like my full circle moment. It’s a craft that I always wanted to explore, but never had the time. As a kid flipping through fashion magazines, pausing tv shows and movies to study a frame, I now realize that it was always there waiting for me to be ready to discover it. I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve been able to reinvent myself through photography. This job has allowed me to meet a diverse group of creatives and people I normally would have never met. As a candid photographer, I think I attract individuals who are ready to be seen in a way that feels thoughtful.

When I first picked up a camera as a photographer, I really just followed the “traditional” rules of what I thought family photography was. I think I was really afraid to enter an industry that felt completely technical to me. What I didn’t discover until much later was that those rules are made to be broken. Art is so subjective and everyone has the opportunity to interpret my photos however they want. Over the years, I’ve learned that there is so much freedom in just observing and giving people space and time to simply be themselves. I’m working on showcasing candid photography for families who are ready to step in front of the camera. I think it’s just one of the most thoughtful ways to document and honor people living their lives with or without children.

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

Being a family photographer is extremely rewarding. I feel lucky that people feel comfortable sharing their lives with me throughout the process of taking their photos. At the same time, it also comes with challenges as I navigate a variety of personalities and situations. It’s taught me a lot about patience, and to just be accepting of whatever outcome may occur. I’ve spent hours traveling for family photoshoots to very remote locations. I think every photographer experiences this, but I always have an idea or vision in my head for how a story will unfold at a beautiful location – the dreamer in me is always optimistic. At the same time, the most important lesson I’ve learned when photographing kids and families is to always expect the unexpected. The vision I have in my head is not a guarantee, so I always have to be ready to accept the story as it unfolds in front of me. After all, it’s not my story I’m trying to tell, it’s the family in front of me. Kids are so spontaneous and while that can feel stressful, it’s one of the reasons why I love telling candid stories. Their movement and free thinking minds are always so fun to capture!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

As a completely independent small business owner, it’s so important to be yourself. I think now more than ever, people want to see individuality in an overly saturated social media market. I try to be honest with my process and how I like to work in order to attract people that resonate with my style and vision. Over the years, I’ve niched down to family photography and have made a public commitment to this free form style of documenting families. I figure I have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain when I’m being honest with my art. Whenever I feel imposter syndrome creeping in, I think about the families and kids that I get to photograph. I know that by sharing my work freely and without reservation, I will attract people searching for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alcantaraphotos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariaalcantaraphotos/

Image Credits
Maria Alcantara Photography