And I couldn't be happier about it
My name is Paola, and I really do think photography chose me.
Since I was a kid I've always had too many hobbies, mainly in the artistic realm. I first picked up a when I was 15 years old and it quickly became part of the hobby reservoir.
I moved to Calgary from Mexico to pursue an engineering degree back in 2017. One thing led to another and I ended up switching majors SIX times and taking some time for my mental health,.
This left a lot of time for reflection on who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. It also left room to pick up some forgotten hobbies... mainly, photography. Only this time I started photographing humans, and it changed my freaking life.
Photographing humans, mainly human connection, opened my eyes to a new kind of photography: storytelling. Storytelling allowed me to open up my lens and create a safe space for people to be themselves. It filled me with passion and purpose.
I was so in love, I decided to take a step further and go to school for it. In 2022, I graduated with honours from the Photojournalism program and since then take pride in authentic storytelling with a documentary approach.
I remain grateful to every single moment in my life, good and bad, that led me to discover this job that I just freaking love so much!
Everything in our life led us to this moment
A snippet into my life
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I love to romanticize the little things in life
HAlf sweet + Oat Milk lattes have my heart
I've been a dancer my whole life & I'm still teaching!
Food & Playlists are my love language
I'm an extroverted homebody
As your photographer, I will focus on capturing you, authentically and honestly.
MY PHILOSOPHY
My background and training in journalism allows me to expect the unexpected and use my camera with integrity and intention, every single time. I will make sure to create a safe space in front of my lens to document all sorts of humans and their life + love stories as unique as they are.
"I was looking for a photographer to simply take photos of us—to commemorate an important event in our lives—so that we could look back on it in the future."
"Thank goodness I found Paola on Instagram! One thing that drew my attention was her portfolio of previous sessions with other clients. She was able to capture them in various ways depending on their shooting preferences. She was also easy to work with, and one thing I admire about her is that she is always thinking of new ideas. We will definitely get her to future events.
PS. My friends loved our shoot and I recommended her ❤️"
D & A
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"It felt as though we had a friend taking our pictures - and not someone I had found on instagram. I'm happy to say that we found a photographer and a friend all in one with hiring Paola."
"Paola is a gem! We absolutely loved all of the pictures we got back from her. Her attention to detail is impeccable, from making sure there were no red eyes in any of the pictures, to ensuring there were no random objects left on the sidelines. I cannot praise her enough! She was able to take my written vision and bring it to life through her lens. She caught candids, all the intimate moments, and the happiness. It's amazing that you're able to feel the emotions through each picture she took."
B & J
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"She got a ton of candid photos which I absolutely adore and really appreciate. She was easy to work with and very easy to communicate with."
"Loved loved loved the photos I got back from our wedding reception ‘re-do’! Paola was very professional throughout the day of the party, and had lots of ideas of photos to take as well. We also had a 1960s old Chevy and I’m very happy we got lots of cool photos of if! I love her editing style as well, she got a ton of candid photos which I absolutely adore and really appreciate. She was easy to work with and very easy to communicate with. I would highly recommend hiring Paola for any event you might have."
E & J
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