Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofi Guerra.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all began when I was in high school and when I became an Aunt to a set of identical twin girls and they became my main models after I was gifted a camera on Christmas in 2000 from my Mom. I continued to take photos throughout high school and I used my nieces and nephews as my main subjects and I began to learn how to use natural window light to my advantage. For some time I put my camera away and focused on other areas of my life.
I graduated high school from Lamar Consolidated in 2001 and I went to college for a little while and in 2007 I joined the law enforcement field with my Mom and became a 911 dispatcher for the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. I decided it was time to become a police officer and graduated from the Wharton County Junior College Police Academy in the spring of 2014. Soon after, I was hired on to work for Katy ISD Police Department for a year and then transitioned to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office in 2015 and I’m part of the Patrol Division ever since. I enjoyed it for the time being and realized I was still missing something in my life and I remembered how much I loved photographing children. I decided I needed to get my feet wet again with capturing amazing images but it was going to take more practice. I wouldn’t figure out what that was until several years later when my best friend had her daughter.
When sweet Leia was born her mom and my best friend, Leslie, asked me if I could take a couple pictures of her and of course, I was thrilled. Leia was officially my first newborn model. At the time I felt I didn’t get the best photos of her but her mom still loves the photos to this day. I reminded myself that I had a lot of learning to do if I wanted to photograph newborns. Overtime as more babies headed my way through word of mouth it struck me that I was learning so much and not only that but I was truly loving the opportunity I was getting of photographing these sweet babies.
My client list is doubling each year and with every new baby I get to work with I’m exploring new ideas and I’m learning not to be so hard on myself with my own work. I do the best that I can I know that’s all that truly matters. It was an amazing feeling to see how I worked out of a tiny room in my house and now to a much bigger studio space that I can call my own. I even had the opportunity to be featured in several newspaper articles across the country and was featured on a few news stations after an image of mine went viral on social media. The newborn image was dubbed the “Bidi Bidi Baby” and it centers around the late Tejano star Selena Quintanilla. I adored her since I was a kid myself and it was my little tribute to her.
I wanted other little girls, especially little girls that are Mexican-American, to see that they too can be successful in life just like Selena. I had the honor of my image being shared by Selena Quintanilla’s sister, Suzette, and I feel like I had so many new doors open because of this one photograph. Just like Selena she made a name for herself in a male-dominated world of Tejano music and worked her way to the top. I too struggled to fit into the newborn world of photography and wanted to make a name for myself and I’m proud to say that I’ve accomplished that with a lot of passion and dedication.
I really do love being around all of these beautiful babies and I amaze myself with my own work. Anyone can take a photograph but it’s what one sees creatively that other can’t see through the lens and freezes that moment to create a signature piece… that’s the moment when a piece of art is captured. It’s an incredible feeling knowing that I’m able to do that!
As of right now, I’m still currently a full-time Deputy Sheriff with Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and on my days off I enjoy photographing newborn babies and spending time with my family and friends. Someday I’ll transition full time to photography and it will be a huge step for me when that day comes.
Has it been a smooth road?
My biggest battle along the way was making a name for myself in a world full of newborn photographers. I wanted to stand out from the crowd and I didn’t know how to do that until I saw the work of one the best newborn photographers in this world and that being the late Jamie Anderson of Cypress, Tx. She was brilliant with her photography and I admired her deeply and her work spoke volumes.
I had to figure out, just like Jamie did, how to stand out from everyone else and be that one special gem that everyone wants to have in their pocket. There are not many newborn Mexican-American photographers in the Houston area and I had to rise above everyone else in this industry and prove that I too have the same potential to be great in this field. I’m proud to say that I’ve achieved that and so much more.
I struggled with my confidence and with always second guessing myself and early on I figured out that babies could sense how I felt during a session. Being a Deputy Sheriff has helped me greatly with building my confidence and learning to be a strong female out in the police field. I’ve applied what I’ve learned on patrol and incorporated in some way into my business world. Once I learned to be confident with my own work the sessions kept getting easier and easier for me and the babies did so much better.
I truly believe newborns can sense what we feel thus they feed off of your energy and it can dictate and entire session solely based on that. The only other thing I had to learn to juggle was being able to have time for myself outside of my full-time police job and my photography business. If you don’t find time for yourself you can lose focus pretty easily and I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen to me.
It’s tough because I want to dedicate every minute that I have to my business but I also have to part my time with my full-time job, spending time with my family and friends and having a moment to myself. It can be very tough but all of my hard work is worth it ten times over. I guess what helps is that being a newborn photographer doesn’t feel like work at all to me!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Sofi Guerra Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Sofi Guerra Photography is widely known for capturing sweet images of newborns and toddlers in their most fleeting moments of life. I create unique sessions that are styled especially for each client and no two sessions are alike. I pay attention to the smallest of details ensuring some of the best shots and I’m known for my extreme patience. I add a touch to each photo session that makes my clients feel special in their own way either it be painting a custom backdrop, adding custom handmade miniature props or sewing a special outfit for my tiny newborn clients to wear during their photo shoot.
I’m most proud that I built this business all on my own and I worked extremely hard getting here. Nothing was ever handed to me and the harder I worked for it the more I appreciated what I’ve created. I wasn’t a privileged child growing up and had my challenges early on in life. I grew up very poor and I came from the other side of the tracks in Richmond, Tx and rose above all it all and came out on top. I could have led a totally different life had I chosen a different path but I’m fortunate enough to say I’ve made good choices. I’m very lucky to have my Mom keep me grounded and she gave me some of the best advice along the way.
Pricing:
- Newborn Session starting at $225
- Cake Smash Sessions starting at $175
- Maternity Sessions starting at $250
Contact Info:
- Address: 1100 6th Street #B Rosenberg, Tx 77471
- Website: http://www.sofiguerra.net
- Phone: 832-520-8454
- Email: sofiguerra21@aol.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofimguerraphotography/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sofiguerraphotography
Image Credit:
Leslie Guebara
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