Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucila Ledesma.
Hi Lucila, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey starts in my childhood. My family always had a camera ready to capture all of our moments from dancing at a family party to simply hanging out at home. I remember going to the camera store often to develop our pictures and the excitement of going back to pick up prints. Growing up I loved grabbing our photo box and reliving moments by looking through all of our pictures.
As soon as I got my own digital camera and camera phone my love for photography continued to grow. Fast forward to the end of my undergraduate years, I met my husband and he quickly learned how much I loved taking photos of and for everyone. He bought me my first Nikon DSLR as a gift. Some of my closest friends and family would mention that I should start a photography business, and although I always loved the idea it terrified me to even think of offering services for something I felt so much responsibility for.
During COVID I came across one of those free online workshops to learn more about natural light photography techniques. I registered, attended the class and next thing I knew I was purchasing the full course. This was such a game changer for me. Learning all of these new techniques inspired me to improve my skills. I began offering free sessions and then charging a small fee. My first paying client was my grad school bestie, Stephanie. She took a chance with me and I felt honored to have the opportunity to capture such a special moment for her. She has been one of my number one supporters since then!
I was very focused on my teaching career and planning our wedding. Growing in my business was on the back burner for a while but I really missed getting behind the camera. I love being an educator and honestly didn’t feel like I could balance both my career and building my business. After my 7th year in education my health took a turn and I needed to take a step back from my career. I didn’t know what I was going to do, and actually ended up working at the bridal boutique where I purchased my own wedding gown a few years earlier. Sweet Romance Bridal is a Latina owned small business and the owner, Leslie, helped me discover how much I was capable of while working there. Who knew I could sell a wedding dress?! Working there really helped me learn more about the ins and outs of running a small business and curating a positive client experience.
I worked at the bridal boutique during my time away from the classroom and spent my off days learning more about running a business and planning out the vision I had in mind for my own. Despite some of my work being on local small business websites and having great client feedback I still felt so much doubt. After more reflection, I took the leap January that year, registered my business and headed straight to the bank to open up my business account. Something about doing that helped me feel even more confident in sharing my services. Since then I’ve invested in workshops and mentorships to continue growing in my craft. It’s taken a lot longer than I anticipated to get to this point, but I am so grateful I didn’t give up and for everyone that has encouraged me along the way.
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?
Absolutely not. To be completely transparent, I think the biggest obstacle along the way was myself. I am a perfectionist and was terrified of disappointing anyone that trusted me to capture a special moment for them. It was also difficult for me navigating the small business world alone. I didn’t have other photographer friends or community to ask questions and bounce around ideas.
As I mentioned, I was my biggest obstacle, because I knew if I wanted to build community I had to put myself out there. I couldn’t be afraid of meeting new people outside of my world of education on my own. My husband really encouraged me to attend the workshops and to invest in myself. I finally listened and went to my first workshop. It was very intimidating seeing everyone’s gear and hearing how many years they had under their belt. Thankfully I met two other kind photographers in my group and really just dove into the experience.
Once I got out of my own way it felt like so much was falling into place. I really am so grateful to my husband for pushing me to believe in myself and to all of the wonderful mentors I’ve had along the way.
As you know, we’re big fans of Captured by Chila Photography. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a lifestyle portrait photographer. I’ve photographed a little of everything: graduation portraits, families, maternity, couples and small weddings. I am most proud of how my clients feel after their sessions. My goal is to empower anyone that steps in front of the camera. I like to prep my clients before their session so they feel prepared and confident walking into their session. The prep looks a little different depending on the session type, but I try to think of what questions they may have and have that information ready for them during booking so they don’t worry or play a guessing game of what to wear or bring with them on our session day.
I think what sets me apart from others is how much I want to learn about my clients to really help them feel comfortable as we work together. I want to hear their vision, if they have any worries and reassure them we are working together as a team to help bring their vision to life. Their voice is important the day of. I have the framework for what our session will look like, but also value their input during our time together.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Continued growth is what I feel is most important to my success. I’m always looking to grow so that I can curate a great client experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://capturedbychila.wixsite.com/portfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capturedbychila/
