My photography journey

Where it all started...

Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and dive into this captivating journey with me. Do you remember the pink Canon Powershot? If not, I've attached some photos for reference. Anyway, the Powershot was my very first camera, well, it was my mom's. I was 11 years old and I would beg my mom for her camera to take the old-school version of "selfies" A.K.A. "self-portraits". During the Florida summer of 2011, my friend Rachel and I would take portraits of each other. Her mom was (and still is) the craftiest person I know, so we ran to her mom's fabric stash and created a makeshift photo fashion show. Somehow, I only have a photo of me "modeling" in one of the portraits and not Rachel, but that's okay. Enjoy the photo of me in excessive makeup and purple fabric!

When I was 13, I babysat for an entire month and saved up enough money to buy my very own DSLR (Nikon D3200 and kit lens). I used this camera throughout middle and high school, and of course, I was using it in Auto mode (iykyk) - gotta start somewhere! At this point, I wasn't too serious about photography; it was just a fun hobby.

Finding my niche...

If you're a photographer, you know how hard it is to find your niche; there are so many options (family, film, landscape, nature, weddings, portraits, and more)! Let's travel back to high school since that's where I had a lot of trial and error. I took a film photography class, and I can safely say that this is where I absolutely fell in love with all things photography. I loved learning about camera settings, taking the photos, and my favorite part was the darkroom and processing the film. I loved it so much that I decided to take a digital photography class, and in that class, I learned how to navigate Photoshop and I finally learned how to use manual mode.

By 2017, I was really into landscape photography. During summers, I was able to travel A LOT with my mom, which I'm super grateful for! Landscape was only fun during the summers though because when I wasn't traveling, I was stuck here in flat and grassy Florida. In 2018, I finally bought a mirrorless camera, the Canon RP, and I even got myself a nifty 50 (50mm 1.8) lens. From 2018-2021, I was making my best friend model for me, and I even took a few homecoming photos for her and her friends!

The hidden gem...

Now, you've made it to the good stuff. In 2021, I discovered a hidden gem (literally). My (now) sister-in-law asked me to take her engagement photos. I was thrilled for the opportunity to capture love. This was my first couples session ever, and looking back, there are definitely things I would have changed about the session from the posing to the location and, most importantly, the editing. However, this opportunity revealed the hidden gem, which is engagement, couples, and wedding photography. I was capturing more and more couples sessions. In March of 2023, I finally started "Veronica Rachel Photography LLC" and purchased my Canon R5 and a 24-70mm lens. I did venture into mini sessions and kiddos for a bit, but ultimately, I knew in my heart what I wanted to pursue, and that is couples and weddings.

In Early 2023, I started working with MPP and had the chance to assist and capture 2 weddings with them. I LOVED IT. I absolutely adored the team but unfortunately, I had some health issues that arose and had to part ways. After ensuring my health was under control, the focus shifted to developing my brand and securing bookings within my niche, specializing in couples and weddings. This journey has led me to exactly where I am meant to be.

If you are looking for a wedding or engagement photographer, please head over to my contact form!