Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Izaurralde.
Maria, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I first picked up a camera I would take it everywhere and photograph people around me. My friends would end up with these great photos that they’d use on their social media. They would tell me about people’s reactions to their photos which made me realize the value of the images.
So now on my shoots I replicate that playfulness and spontaneity. We plan some things in advance but leave a lot of it up to chance, like we’ll just plan on a meeting place and we walk around while I look for good lighting and backdrops. In the meantime, we talk and build rapport, which is crucial to setting the kind of vibe that great photos emerge from. It’s anything but cookie-cutter because people are so different. Ultimately the goal is to create photos that don’t look staged or paid for; they should look like the kind of photos that come out a good photographer friend’s camera.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I had to teach myself everything. When I started the business, I had to make a website, but I first I had to teach myself how to make it. I had to do marketing, PR, SEO, sales, writing – I had to learn all these things before I could execute on them. It was a frustrating process because progress was slow and seemingly unattainable. For a while I felt like I had stalled, and it had a negative impact on my photography because I was in a perpetual state of frustration. The whole reason I had gotten into photography is because it put me in a flow state, yet building the business was anything but.
2016 was particularly challenging because as a political junkie my focus was really tested. It was a losing battle for me until December when I became proactive and started a meditation practice. Eight months later I can say meditation saved not only my business but also put me on a path to rediscover my passion for photography.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Right Swipe Pics story. Tell us more about the business.
Right Swipe Pics does lifestyle and portrait photography to help people express themselves and put their best foot forward in their dating and social media profiles. It was founded in 2014 and currently serves South Florida, Austin and San Francisco. I am most proud of the testimonials and the fact that the photos help connect people and in some cases, help people find love.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
A photographer in CA reached out to me on a dating site. We texted for a while and met up on one of my west coast trips. He took me to a beautiful straw meadow in Marin County where we took pictures of each other the entire afternoon. I’ve always wanted to shoot in that kind of landscape but never had the opportunity. That was the day my passion for photography came back in full force, it was like time didn’t exist. I’ve always tried my hardest when it comes to work but that afternoon it was effortless and fun. I feel tremendously fortunate to have had that experience because I’ve finally found a good photographer that I can work with on the west coast but also because it makes my work more enjoyable and energizes me to do what I need to do.
I’ve also had the good fortune to work with some dating coaches locally which has been great because they’ve taught me a lot about issues the dating world which has in turn informed my photography.
Pricing:
- Budget – $100 – 1 hour shoot 1 location 1 outfit 50 per additional outfit (+ half hour) Download access to all your photos Photos may be used for promotional materials
- Photo makeover – $200 – 1 hour shoot 1 location 1 outfit 75 per additional outfit (additional half hour) Download access to all your photos Privacy (photos will not used for promotional purposes)
- Ultimate transformation – $500 – 3 hour shoot 2 locations 4 outfit changes 12 retouched photos Download access to all your photos Privacy (photos will not be used for promotional purposes)
Contact Info:
- Website: RightSwipePics.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Personal photo: Travis Cislo
Portraits: Maria Izaurralde
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
