Behind The Lens With Portraits By Priscilla
When meeting Priscilla Cavasos, her enthusiasm about her work and capturing milestone moments made it apparent that she truly loves romance. Her passion shows in every wedding image she creates! I learned quickly she is more than a photographer; she is a passionate creator who becomes a friend.
I had the opportunity to virtually chat with the woman behind Portraits By Priscilla about her start with disposable cameras, the dark, moody vibes of her work, and the other roles she takes on during your big day.
Who is Portraits By Priscilla?
“A 30-year-old gal with a love of photography and her camera. I specialize in weddings, quinceaneras, lifestyle, event, and destination photography. My style is a mixture of both dark and moody with deep rich colors. That’s who I am as a person. Dark vibes are my tribe! I feel by putting a moody vibe on my photos, it brings a certain artistic flavor and adds so much character. That brings each one of my photos to life.”
When did your love for photography start?
“Growing up, I was always that girl with a disposable camera in her hand. You ask any of my family members, they’ll tell you! As a teenager, I carried one around with me everywhere and had tons of pictures on my bedroom walls of my family and closest friends. It was the one hobby I became attached to. Soon after graduating high school, I was gifted with my first DSLR camera by my parents and my love for photography blossomed.”
What sparked the idea of starting a photography business?
“Back in 2014, God decided to bless my sister and our family with her first child. Being a first-time aunt to a baby boy, I was over the moon! Especially with the idea of having pictures of him all over my home. With my love of photography and the plan to have as many photos of him around, I had 2 choices; pay a professional continuously to take portraits of him or turn my hobby into a profession and learn the fundamentals myself. I choose to learn on my own. As I began teaching myself, I received numerous compliments and started getting asked about rates to photograph occasions. Soon after photographing a couple of events, I fell in love with it and decided to turn my hobby into a career! I was able to pursue my love for photography as a small business owner.”
Why weddings?
“Love is a blessing from God and deep down, I’m a hopeless romantic. People’s love stories are what inspires me to be the best wedding photographer I can be. I JUST LOVE WEDDINGS! It’s really that simple. The romance and intimacy that I get to see and experience between a couple sparks every bit of happiness within me. Your wedding day allows me to be in the center of it all with you. I get to be part of one of the biggest days and happiest moments in people’s lives. My mission is to make sure I capture authentic, effortless, genuine heartfelt moments for you to look back on and still be able to feel the feelings from your big day.”
What separates you from other photographers?
“When you hire me as your photographer, it’s not just about paying me to take your photos. It’s so much more than that. To me, that’s where the start of a life-long friendship begins. I get to know my clients on a personal level to where it feels as if we have been friends forever. We go have coffee, a couple of beers, we go to lunch or have dinner because making sure that both them and I feel comfortable with one another is the most important thing. Once that connection is formed, I go into your engagements, bridals, and wedding day with a whole new mindset of our relationship between one another. It allows me to look at you both in a different light and then my imagination begins to run wild with creativity. On your wedding day, I’m there to help in any way possible. I turn into not just your photographer but your wedding planner, bridesmaid, groomsman, family member, friend… you name it. I also try to make a connection with the other vendors who are a part of your wedding. Why? Because working together with them ensures that we are all doing our part to make sure that your wedding day goes as smoothly and flawlessly as possible and that you only have one job that day. To focus on the love between you and your partner.
What services do you offer?
Along with engagement sessions, bridal portraits, custom usb drives, wedding albums, photo prints (and soon boudoir) one of my main services is all day wedding coverage. I believe every minute of your day should be documented because every moment of your wedding matters. I’m there from the minute hair & makeup begins ’til the final dance of the night. I want my clients to know that I’m there for them and that they will be getting every memory made that day.
What are some struggles you’ve faced as a small business on the rise?
Owning your own business is not an easy road. Like many others along the way, it has been a rollercoaster physically, mentally, emotionally, & financially. Being that the photography market is saturated, one of my biggest struggles has been getting my name and face out more for people to see and hear. There’s no doubt that there are tons of talented photographers here in the coastal bend but my biggest mission is to have more people recognize my passion, drive, and creativity for my business.
Where do you see yourselves in the future as a business?
I like to believe anything is possible. My goal is to accomplish more dreams that come along the way within my business, open my own photography studio, and travel to photograph as many destination weddings as I can. Adventure is where my heart is and if I’m able to experience it with my clients, that is the best thing!
What was your best and worst experience on the job?
I cannot tell you how many good experiences I’ve had with my job. I’ve been blessed with more good experiences than bad but unfortunately, at some point you’re going to experience those flaws. One of the best experiences I’ve had was when I photographed my first destination wedding in the Caribbean. I had the time of my life. I was in my element with the cutest couple at one of the most beautiful places on Earth. A whole week of tropical beach, jungle, tropical drinks, romance, and good vibes. I was in heaven and I pray for more opportunities like it in the future. The worst experience I’ve had is when I must deal with rude people at an event especially because I’m one of the nicest people you could meet. Sometimes people don’t care that you are trying to do your job. They get in the way, make ugly faces, yell at you… it can be a real bummer and discourage you. I don’t like the feeling it brings but luckily, I can say, I’ve had many great experiences that have outweighed the bad.
What are some things you want brides to know when it comes to booking photography?
Vibes are everything. Follow your intuition. One of the most important things is creating a connection with your photographer. Besides your wedding planner, they are the one who will be with you the most, so a strong connection and communication between one another is key. Also, take pride in choosing the right photographer for you. Don’t choose someone just because they have cheap rates or offer more. Choose someone who values their work, values their clients, puts you first. They should be someone you can trust with a mutual understanding they can trust you as their client as well. Lastly, don’t be afraid to make your wedding day your own. You don’t have to be traditional. You don’t have to do what the norm is, or follow in everyone’s footsteps, or what society tells you a wedding should be like. IT’S YOUR WEDDING, YOUR DAY! Be yourselves!
Any advice for aspiring photographers?
Continue pushing and never give up. Follow your dreams and never let anyone tell you, “you’re not good enough” or “you can’t do it”. A wise person once said, “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Believe in yourself!
Is it easy? No!
Is it worth it? Yes!
Special thanks to PORTRAITS BY PRISCILLA for sharing her story! You can find check out her work on Facebook here and on Instagram @portraitsbypriscilla!
To learn more about her services and booking info contact her at [email protected] or visit her website here!
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