Meet Daria Ratliff of Daria Ratliff Photography in Katy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daria Ratliff.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Daria. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been taking photos for as long as I can possibly remember. My very first camera was given to me by my husband, a film camera Nikon FM2, and I was 24. My first experience was when I was 15, taking pictures of my young sister when she was around 7. That was back in Brazil and it was film. Gosh, it was sooo funny to remember how long I had to wait for the photos to be ready but there was something so precious about film. Every second mattered.

I’ve heard throughout my entire life that I should pursue art as I was very much into working with my hands in many artistic ways, but photography was the media that better suited me. It was not until 2011 that I’ve decided to go into professional photography and having a world ahead of me of learning the creative process of the digital world.

But here I am and I love every single aspect of it!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no. Yes for the huge support I had from my husband and other family members. And… No… Because I had to make myself trustworthy simply because I wasn’t working for the money or because there was not an apparent need. That was a challenge.

See, my husband was in the Oil industry and we travelled around the world. We had a good life and I felt like I always had to do more to prove myself. Things like “yeah, I’m charging you this amount because I know what I put into this whole process. No, sir, it is not because I have an expensive camera gear that I charge you this amount.” It’s because I know where I’m coming from.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Daria Ratliff Photography – what should we know?
I simply love beautiful portraits and as I recently started wedding photography, all the experience I already had with people was of great addition to my brides. Although I became officially a wedding photographer just recently, I also have to point out that it didn’t happen all of the sudden. I’ve been studying hard for a couple of years and slowly shifting the way I worked into weddings. I felt like not until I had a good hold of things I could then place myself with confidence in the industry.

I think its quality versus quantity that sets my work apart. If someone ends up with a 1500 images after their wedding, I do believe there is something really not quite right with that. I try my best to explain to a potential client that if you end up with a really really good 6o to 80 images for your album and a good solid 10 stunning images, that’s my goal. I hate to think that those 1000 images are fillers. No one will be going back to 1500 images.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Balance. I do believe that balancing Wedding photography with Family and personal life is something that most photographers struggle. Photography is one of the hardest works out there.

Pricing:

• Portraits – Starting at $400
• Seniors – Starting at $475
• Wedding Collections starting at $3300

Contact Info:

• Address: Katy, TX
• Website: http://www.dariaratliff.com
• Phone: 713-819-7127
• Email: daria@dariaratliffphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariaratliff/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DariaRatliffPhotography/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/daria-ratliff-photography-katy
• Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/daria-ratliff-photography-katy/8210bc117b8a4825.html

Image Credit:
Profile Picture taken by Lauren Allen Photography