Today we’d like to introduce you to Xiomara Serrano
Hi Xiomara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story really started when I was a kid. I remember as I growing up in New Jersey and my family was always carrying around a camera to document everything we did. I always wanted to play with the cameras and I was always so excited when the film got developed and I could finally see what the pictures looked like. However, I really got started doing photography when I was in high school. My senior capstone project theme was “passion” and I had no idea what I wanted to do or what my passion was. Eventually, I decided to talk with my older sister about it and she encouraged me to pick up something that I hadn’t thought about in a while, which was taking photos. I had no idea how I was going to do it or even afford a camera at the time. I had almost let the idea go until my older sister gifted me her camera under the pretense that she “didn’t use it”, sent it to me, and pushed me to get started. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or how to even use the camera. I ended up doing an internship with a local photographer and learned a lot from her. After that, I was completely hooked!
When I went to university I never thought about majoring in the arts, as much as I loved it, I always knew my major was psychology, however the arts just always called my name. I ended up taking one photography course and it ended up sparking me back up and my professor convinced me into adding it as a second major. I, of course, debated over whether it was the right choice or not and again consulted with my family. As always, they pushed me to pursue it and I really worked hard at catching up with the course load. I was also fortunate enough to go to a school that taught film photography. There I learned to shoot and develop my own film and now I incorporate it in my work. It sparked my passion into something that started a career that I am really proud of and love. Overall, I think that my photography has had many “starts” but I always think of the little girl watching her family take pictures anywhere and everywhere and the teenager who had been given the chance on the whim of her older sister to try something new.
So, in all honesty, I owe my official start to my older sister! My whole family has always been so supportive and their support has gotten me where I am today. Of course, there was a lot of hard work involved, but I have loved every step of the way. I definitely owe all that work and dedication to my family.
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?
It definitely has not always been smooth going, but I think that I’ve been really lucky so far. I think that a lot of the struggles come from how saturated the field is becoming and trying to stand out from other photographers. It can be difficult, especially with how different everyone’s style can be.
Not just that, but the rising cost of doing photography also makes the road a little bumpy. Upgrading equipment, the constant buying of film, film development, etc. It all honestly makes the struggle intense sometimes.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been doing photography for about 7 years now and I specialize in candid portraiture. I’m known for being able to capture candid moments even during stylized and/or posed shoots and delivering bright and bold photos. I love adding that natural element to my photography and I think that it helps create memories in my shoots that you may not always feel you get from more styled shoots. It is something that I am proud to involve in my shoots and definitely something that I think brings comfort not only to my clients during the process but also to myself.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
To me, it is important to always include compassion and respect in all my shoots and I think that it has been a great part of my success. I think those qualities help my clients feel comfortable and provide a stepping stone for how my client relationships are built and how it can affect recommendations for future clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://xiomaraandreaphotography.mypixieset.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xio.a.photography?igsh=MXA0anJ3dmh6NzBjMA==
