In summer of 2001, Laura Aquino delivered her firstborn son, and another passion came along with it.
“My camera was my pen and paper, even before the birth of my baby,” she says. “Excited and overwhelmed as a working mom, I felt that time was never enough to enjoy the precious moments that parenthood brought us. I took many photos to tell my story to my family back in the Philippines. I even created an online journal for our family to see. I shared photos of laughter, joy, and even sad moments. It told everyone how we’re surviving as an independent family in our new home in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Any migrant can tell his or her own story and one thing is common: we all miss home.”
Lady in Red
Laura received a Canon EOS 300D from his husband when it was first launched in 2003. She was so excited to compose with better settings that she went through night classes to master the skills. Having worked in the corporate IT industry, she put aside photography as merely a diversion because it was tough enough to balance time with family, work, and hobby. She felt she wasn’t able to express her passion for art while coping on the job.
“In 2008, I became a part-time lifestyle photographer and created my company Snapxpressions Photography, with a vision of capturing the magical moments of life. Having my children in school gave me more time to serve other families who needed photos for their memories,” she explains.
Laura attended her first professional photography conference in Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). It opened more opportunities for her to learn and discover how huge and profitable the industry is globally.
“I began adding more inspiration and followed works of great photographers. I booked my first five wedding assignments that year and my clientele has improved each year. Towards the end of 2012, a major recession and a mass layoff happened due to acquisition. I considered this an opportunity instead of a breakdown, that I was given a chance to follow my dream and learn more. I shared the passion with similar people who have helped me build my portfolio,” she said.
She fell in love with glamour and fashion photography, and her works were admired by models and photographers. She met Doug Gordon in a WPPI conference and thanked him for giving her a chance to learn his style. He gave a set of learning DVDs to her as a gift.
Partially Covered
Laura also discovered the works of Manny Librodo and Lito Sy during one of her visits to the Philippines. She also attended Lito Sy’s workshop in New Jersey. After she went to back to corporate IT work in 2013, which lasted for almost a year, she decided to focus on photography full time.
Reconnecting with friends through Facebook and networking groups, she joined Erich Caparas Workshop and added lifestyle family portraits, glamour, and boudoir photography to her services. She met a dance studio owner who offered her studio to host Sunday events for Creative Kids Photoshoot, in exchange for shooting the recitals. Laura started networking with other moms and selling her mini sessions and pictorials.
Laura’s favorite subject is the female adult. She believes that the art of making a woman look amazing will make her feel confident, thus giving her more freedom to be who they are. Raised as the head of four other siblings, this responsibility prepared her for motherhood.
For Laura, a passionate photographer’s persistence and creativity make the photograph more interesting. An effective photograph inspires people to think. The mood of the creator affects the image in many senses, and she believes it is better to become adaptive so one can continue to create despite crazy or challenging situations. A photographer with a great mindset will convey better and stunning photos, with the level of skills, mastery of camera combined with the emotions.
“I cannot create a photograph when I am not in good spirits. I try to keep my life simple, and worry less about small problems and things I cannot control. I desire to live a peaceful life so I can stay focused on my visions,” she muses. “Capturing human expression and emotions makes your images stand out. Mastering tools such as your camera, the environment lighting, and creating a great composition are most important to me. Adding skills on post-processing and working on each image with a vision of the final image before capturing make everything efficient. An artist already knows in her mind what the image will look like, so she searches multiple ways to express that using the camera. When you know how to color and paint, it’s easier to compose. The unique talent and passion for creativity will set you apart from the rest. If you can inspire another person with your work, that means you are a great artist.”
Laura officially joined WPPI recently to improve her business skills and Wedding Wire to market her wedding photography and collect reviews from the brides. She is also a member of Pinoy Photo Buddies of New York and New Jersey.
“I have not seriously joined any other photography contests in my area because my focus was to start up my business and serve my ever-growing customers. Today, my best accomplishment is the recognition I get from my present clients, that they are happy and admiring the high quality of my images and work,” she says.
When she attended Lito Sy’s Wedding Workshop in New York back in 2012, she won first place in the photo contest as a participant. Since then, she has organized successful photo workshops participated in by many photographers and models.
“Now that I have all the skills needed to establish my photography career, I feel more confident that my dream will one day happen. My ultimate goal as a visual artist is to build a full-time photography and commercial studio with my own brand and eventually become an inspiration, mentor, and educator in the photography business. I wish to have a job that is fulfilling and allows me to do what I truly love. I believe that photographs will tell your story practically better than anything else. Life goes on and everyone moves on, and only photographs can freeze the moments you love to remember. Photography is capturing the magical moments of life,” Laura enthuses, with the certainty of a confident mom and a passionate artist, who discovered how to merge the two facets in her life harmoniously.
Now that I have all the skills needed to establish my photography career, I feel more confident that my dream will one day happen. My ultimate goal as a visual artist is to build a full-time photography and commercial studio with my own brand and eventually become an inspiration, mentor, and educator in the photography business.