Today we’d like to introduce you to Clara Andrade.
Clara, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Back in 2018, when my son was two years old, I decided to make a change in my career to create a professional life that was more meaningful to me and that could also give me flexibility. I have had seven years of experience as a copywriter both in USA and Brazil. During that time, I had collaborated with small and global brands – wrote ads, press releases and content for social media, but I knew I didn’t want to stick to advertising for too long.
One day that year, I was going for a walk and it was like a light bulb had switched on my mind. I was an amateur photographer until then and would have lots of fun documenting our lives at home as this new motherhood chapter unveiled in my life. More than cute photos, I was often looking for a scene that would represent the moment we were living and slowly started to look for the same goal in my surroundings. I wanted to create something raw and honest, yet beautiful, that could translate with more details what family life was like. What if I could do that for several families?
That’s when I decided to take the idea seriously, I went to study in the Miami Institute of Photography and started photographing some friend families in a documentary way. No posing, no direction. I would go to their houses for hours and registered their day as it was. I’ve opened my business, studied even more, took mentorships and practiced every single day.
It’s a true honor to be able to do that for a living, to tell families stories in a way they can look back in 10, 20 years from now and see what their life was all about. They see love, chaos and they are able to recognize their true essence.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning your own business is never easy. One of my biggest challenges is the juggling between my personal and professional life as they are so intricate. Creativity and life passion are my biggest fuels to photograph and I need to make sure I’m getting enough of them through my daily tasks – parenting and house chores to say the least.
I also need to have someone to watch my child while I’m out of the house in unconventional hours, such as early mornings, late afternoons and weekends. My husband and I are always coming up with a plan to sort out our daily work schedule with our son’s school. Overall we learned to work as a team and be supportive for each other.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a family documentary photographer and my core mission is to photograph family life in a raw intriguing way. I’m mostly proud of being able to show them how beautiful their ordinary life is and deliver a collection that will serve their family legacy. I think what sets me apart is that I keep it really simple and make people feel comfortable with who they are. I’ve been around kid’s tantrums, teenager fights, intimate moments, you name it. My main thing is the connection I’m building with each family. Their emotional openness is what will define the type of photos I’m going to get.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I would say don’t be too hard on yourself and know that you will take thousands of terrible photos before you start getting the good ones. Practice is the key. Feed your creative soul on a daily basis. I wish I had connected with other photographers sooner, it can be quite a lonely field so it’s important to connect with your industry peers and put both your feet in the game, even when you’re a beginner.
Pricing:
- Day in The Life Coverage (10h) – $1150
- Half Day Coverage (6h) – $750
- Short Coverage (3h) – $450
- Lifestyle Session (2h) – $350
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@claraandradephoto.com
- Website: www.claraandradephoto.com
- Instagram: @claraandradephotos
- Facebook: @claraandradephotos
- Other: https://vimeo.com/claraslideshows
