"find what fuels your soul, and go after it without fear"
viva por ti photography
I knew since I was 7 years old that I wanted to be a photographer. I knew when I used my mom's film camera to take photos of my Barbies. I even posed them, changed their clothes, and set up a “runway” for them to model.
When I graduated high school in 2009 and went to URI, I knew I wanted to major in photography and psychology. My advisor stated they didn’t correlate and I was better off doing something that would get me a “job”. I settled for a double major in psychology and human development in families.
In my senior year of college, I was heading down a dark path—constantly drinking, partying, and being reckless with my life.
When I had my miscarriage — drinking + partying had become more of my outlet. Once I was hit by a drunk driver in 2013 — I knew I had to find another way to cope with the loss of my daughter because drinking the pain away was going to end me in two places: dead or in jail.
That’s when I purchased my first camera. I didn’t dare to photograph people so I stuck with landscapes and buildings. I knew I wanted to start a business but in every name, I had come up with someone else had. I got discouraged and my camera sat in its bag for a few more years.
It wasn’t until Avery was born that I felt inspired to pick up my camera again. This time with no fear—god bless the things I did to Avery because he was my practice baby.
In December 2016, I finally figured out what I wanted the name of my business to be. I was laying on the couch with Avery, I looked at him and said “I live for you”. But that’s too long for a business name so I decided to see what it would be in Spanish which is Vivo por ti, but of course, I had to make it feminine.
In 2017, Viva Por Ti Photography came to fruition, but I didn’t know how much it would actually change my life.
It wasn’t until February 2021 that I decided to follow my dream — of being a full-time photographer, which was the scariest and most rewarding thing I have ever done for myself.
Things may not always go how we plan. But when your soul calls for something, whether it be going somewhere, a hobby, or starting a business, just do whatever you want. Life is too short to live for others and not ourselves.
