We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maricruz Kwon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Maricruz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
My recent Out of the Shadows Project is the most meaningful project I’ve worked on. I birthed this idea from trying to figure out how to tell my story of getting out of a narcissistic abusive relationship while simultaneously healing from said relationship. I pitched this idea when I applied for a three-month photography-based program and stuck with it as my showcase piece.
The creative process was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. The experience evoked a range of emotions, from anger, doubt, and terror to pride, hope, determination, and complete gratitude for sharing this idea and enrolling eight other women in my vision.
Backstory:
My background is in Film and Video Production. I’ve been doing video production in some capacity since the age of 17. Video editing was my passion, but after graduating in 2012, I decided not to step foot on another production set. I was a fresh-off-a-divorce single mom with a young son, and I needed a stable paycheck while raising him, so I went into the corporate sector as a multimedia specialist.
I loved the work; I lived to create visuals. I have been in places where I have seen life, death, and the creation of everything in between. I found joy in capturing people’s stories of tragic turned triumph moments, overcoming adversity, fighting for justice, and the creation of beautiful pieces of art. Unfortunately, I faced a lot of discrimination, micro-aggressions, and toxic environments in the workplace. Safe, creative spaces (in my experience) in the corporate world were hard to come by, and just anything else, if they don’t like you, they will find a way to get rid of you. I’ve been laid off all of my corporate jobs as a creative.
In the fall of 2021, I decided to leave video production behind and focus on storytelling through photography. In 2024, I started freelancing. I still do my creative work as a multimedia specialist, but now I don’t have to commit to an office or management. I love the freedom of it. I create and go home to be with the ones I love the most.
From 2017-2023, I was involved with my daughter’s father, who, in hindsight, is a domestic abuser. We met and worked at the same corporate job, but he was in a different department than me, so our work/life balance was manageable. When the pandemic hit, my workload and demand increased. Everyone needed an online presence, and I was the “Camera Chick.” It was my duty to make it happen. I was still nursing my daughter when everything went on lockdown. Managing a new baby, increased workloads, and the role of a domestic partner took its toll on me. I had little to no support in these areas of my life. The hard part was that I still loved all aspects of my life, but it took more from me than I could give. I found out I was pregnant with our second child at the end of 2022, but I miscarried the baby weeks later, in 2023. My doctor said it wasn’t my fault for losing the baby, but I know deep in my heart that the stress of my everyday life at home, work, and being a mom to a toddler wouldn’t have allowed my body to see this pregnancy through.
I ended the relationship with my ex-partner a month after the miscarriage. The crazy part was that I didn’t know that I was with an abusive partner until I left him. I can say that there were some pleasant moments during the relationship, but everything seemed off. On that final day, when I packed his bags and threw his belongings into his truck, I was screaming for my life. I felt like I was losing my mind. I started researching and sought therapy, read books, listened to webinars, participated in chats, and sought help from friends—anything I could grasp to help me define what I was going through. And though I know I wasn’t alone in what I faced, I felt isolated in every way. How do you explain to people that you have been feeling and thinking this way for so long while he is still the “nice guy” in public? The grief seemed impossible to process.
More stressors came along, but my focus shifted to finding ways to support myself and my daughter. I decided to freelance as a photographer as the way to do it. I saw an open call for the Blooming Artist program and took a chance on myself by applying for it. Something inside of me kept saying that my art would save my life.
In my application statement, I expressed uncertainty about tackling a topic so personal: my experiences in that narcissistic abusive relationship were difficult for me to tell, not only because of the emotional pain but also because I didn’t want to engage in victim shaming or doxing. I didn’t want to be the girl venting about her deadbeat ex-partner or the breakup dramas. I couldn’t hide that my story, experience, and healing processes were anything but easy. Cause it’s not. And witnessing my daughter experience the trickle-down effect of the abuse from her father as a support evader and absentee parent, I knew I had to use my voice. My choice was to use photography to amplify my message and help tell the stories of others as well.
The more I developed “Out of the Shadows,” I realized that I didn’t want to make it about me or just DV survivors. I wanted to cast the net wider. The human experience is something we all have in common. I wanted to focus on how healing is not linear by capturing the essence of what resilience looks like. My approach was to document how we show up for ourselves and each other and mark where we are in our journey. I don’t have the ending story you would typically see on TV or in the movies. I wanted to show real people. I chose to use women as my subjects for the first version of the project.
It took courage for me to do this. I was publicly sharing my story for the first time. Even my family members did not know what was happening in my life. This was the first time I said who my abuser was out loud through my work.
The response was amazing. I received an outpouring of support beyond what I could ever imagine. I settled to take pictures in a studio, which became an intimate portrait session for each woman who showed up. We shared our personal stories and the lessons we learned along the way. It felt liberating to connect with other women. We all have some healing to do, and it’s easier to do it with like-minded people. I wanted these photos to be a gift for them, something they could look back on one day and be proud of their journeys. As for me, I found my zen when I was behind the camera.
The showing itself was beautiful. I often hung out in the background to observe people’s engagement with the portraits. I was humbled to hear that this project was creating an impact. The final date of the showcase landed precisely one year from the date I was laid off from my last job. So, in a twist of fate, I had a full-circle moment.
My goal is to turn this into a philanthropic project, traveling to different cities, taking photos, and capturing the resilience of women nationwide. I also intend to make a male version of “Out of the Shadows.” Until then, I will look back at the sessions with gratitude and acknowledge that I am finally fulfilling my purpose: Capturing lives through my lens and sharing powerful stories with the world.
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.
My name is Maricruz Kwon, and I am a freelance lifestyle photographer + content creator. I specialize in candid, behind-the-scenes, and event photography. One of the things I learned from film school is that what you do when you think no one is watching is who you are. As a photographer, I want to capture that element in a person.
Candids and behind-the-scenes photography have always been my favorite photos to take. From being backstage during an opera, watching the stagehands hustle between sets, to capturing an upcoming Latina motivation speaker giving a speech at a conference, to being in a basement laboratory with 150 cadavers resting in metal bins carefully handled and studied for medical science, to taking pictures of a daughter playing in the dunes in Galveston, these are the moments that people often forget, but I am fortunate enough to be in that space to capture the beauty of what it’s like to be human. I always look for it in the most nonobtrusive way.
My services include lifestyle and event photography for small—to mid-size and upcoming businesses. I address my client’s pain points by creating visual assets to help them tell their stories and providing them with photography that they can use for their social media, marketing, website, and publishing needs.
My photography ranges from live event photos to documentary-style videos, headshots, and product and speaker photos. Although videography is not my leading service, I offer to capture broll in addition to photography and provide my editing services at a reasonable rate.
My mission is to amply the voices that work hard to bring their stories to the forefront.
Based in Houston but often travel for photography services in San Antonio, Austin, and Southern California.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Do your research and buy directly from the source. Being an artist or creative for a living is not just a hobby. It is a lifestyle. I don’t think many people get that. Nobody wants to pay for shipping on any item. Being frugal on a quality piece of artistry just to save a couple of bucks online will cost you longer.
If you can’t purchase from the creative, then promote their work, send them referrals, and recommend them to people you know who can benefit from their offers.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Seeing my work used as it is intended brings me such joy.
When I see a photo I’ve taken on my social feeds, it’s like Im seeing the picture for the first time. Watching my videos on my client’s websites reminds me that I am doing the work I am meant to do.
I exist, I was there, and I made this happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://madebymaricruz.myportfolio.com/maricruz-kwon-collectionofwork
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madebymaricruz/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maricruz-kwon-0a6a561a3/
Image Credits
Profile Picture: C.B.Photo.Flim
Article photos: Maricruz Kwon