Today we’d like to introduce you to Giselle Serrano.
Hi Giselle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My passion for photography started at a young age. My parents gave me my first camera when I was 11. It was a Nikon Coolpix and I took it with me everywhere. When my friends would come over, I would plan photoshoots around the neighborhood and we would have so much fun dressing up, pretending we were models. The photos turned out pretty well for a 6th grader. I carried that passion with me all throughout high school. Every school event we had I was there, capturing every moment and seeing my photos published in the yearbooks. I later decided to turn my passion into a career and attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. It was such a great experience, I met so many talented people that I still keep in touch with today. At the time, I was also a waitress at a local pizzeria, I practiced my skills on coworkers who were generous enough to pose for my school projects, transforming them into models. After the Art Institute, I became an apprentice with many established photographers who inspired and helped me grow into the photographer I am today. Now, I currently work at a commercial production company. From photographing my best friends and coworkers to working on professional sets with fashion models. My dream became reality!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building my confidence was one of the main struggles I faced. It took me a while to know my worth. “Is my work good enough?”, I would ask myself. I would constantly compare myself and my work to other photographers. I was afraid of charging clients because I wasn’t “worth that much”. I would even turn down certain photoshoots because I was too afraid of messing up. It wasn’t until last year I finally started getting over that. I realized my work is worthy of expectations because it became something I’ve enjoyed and practiced all my life. Even if I still get anxious, I learned to push past my fears. Photography is an art, and I am here to tell a story and express myself through my photos. Once I started seeing my photographs as a part of me and not comparing myself to others is when I started to finally come out of my shell.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What sets me apart from others is that my photographs tell a story. The outfits, location, expressions, and the poses are all a part of a unique experience, creating a unique photo. I’m inspired by many things; fashion trends, locations, seasons, history, colors, etc…that is how I come up with my next photoshoot concept. Whether I’m telling a story of the Goddess Aphrodite or the vibrant colors of the summer, each photo in a series is tied together to tell a story.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I have a lot of favorite childhood memories, from sleepovers with my BFFs to traveling the world with my parents. But my favorite memories are when I used to visit my family in New Jersey and New York every summer. Going back to my home state to visit my grandparents in Jersey and seeing them smile from the window when I would pull up to their house will always be a memory I’ll cherish forever. I’d also visit my cousins in New York and we would have so much fun pulling all nighters while dancing to Hollaback Girl, playing the Sims and eating Oreos until the sunrise.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.gzelphotography.com
- Instagram: @giselle_serrano.psd
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/gzelphotography
Image Credits
Model: Aniya Love Model: Anna K Model: Ashley Sims
