Souls & Smiles Photography x Diosa

After taking all the photos for Diosa, I definitely hit a sort of "writers block" when it came to photo creativity. I was over it, guilty as charged!

Although I hit a wall, I also lacked the will to ask for help. Stubborn me. So I put my pride aside and I decided to work with the amazing Vanessa. Before she even pulled her camera out, I knew this was going to be one of the best damn collab to hit Diosa!

Thank freaking God I met her.

The energy this woman brings, it is truly empowering. She understood my madness, she supported my craziness, and she created beautiful work. She is a major Diosa, and I am so glad to have crossed paths with her.

Plus, a special thank you to the beautiful Wendy Acosta--Owner of Poetic Picnics--if it wasn't for her I would still have some half a**ed photos, haha! #modelvibes

Now back to Vanessa at Souls & Smiles Photography! I set aside a few questions for us both, to get to know more about the woman behind the camera.

What inspired you to start Souls & Smiles Photography?

My daughter. I got my first camera (I’ve had it for 7 years now) when Bella was born. I wanted to be able to document her milestones and have my pictures of her in a safe place. I caught her first steps on this camera!

How do you feel Souls & Smiles is different than Angelic Images?

When I first started my business, I had no idea what to call it. Nothing felt like “ahh this is the one”. I stuck to something simple, Angelic (my middle name is Angelique). And images, cuz duh. Haha

Once I started taking clients and meeting with Moms, Dads, Brothers, sisters, babies… I knew. I wasn't just taking “images” of people. I was capturing the smiles and the souls of people. By “souls ”, I mean everything that you are. What makes you, you. Or what makes your family, your family.

What is your favorite type of photo session?

At first, my favorite session was boudoir. I absolutely love being able to hype women up and have them feel confident in their own skin. I realized that you don’t need to do boudoir in order to achieve that. I’ve taken photos of woman fully clothed and they are just as empowering. So, I would say portraits of women.

My runner up, is mother’s with their children. Literally, the purest love out there.

What is your LEAST favorite type of photo session?

Honestly, I love it all. I know that sounds cliche, but I do. Every session is unique in its own way. In the end, when I’m editing these photos, I just think about how much I love what I do.

Overall, what is your biggest motivation/inspiration?

The family I created. They are the reason I discovered this passion of mine. I have an incredible support system at home. My fiancé & 2 kids are what keep me going.

What is your biggest goal for the upcoming year?

I want to continue to grow. I want to keep learning new things. I also, would love to be able to capture a proposal. However, I would be crying, so I’m not sure how that would work out. Haha

But most importantly, my biggest goal is capture everyone’s Souls & Smiles!

Check out Vanessa's amazing work through out the site!

Con mucho mucho amor,

Diosa