Today we’d like to introduce you to Alissa Cordoba
Alissa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I loved photography from a very young age. I grew up in a small town in South Dakota, with a population of 1,200. When I was thirteen, my parents went through a divorce and with siblings five and ten years older than me, I was the only kid left in the house at the time. That major life change, paired with learning how to be a teenageer in a teeny tiny town meant I needed some sort of creative outlet to turn to. I was most drawn to macro (close up) photography and still love it today. I took photos for fun all throughout high school and knew by graduation day I wanted to make a career out of it. I got accepted to The Art Institute of Minneapolis. Still, after receiving the cost breakdown, I opted to get a Business Administration degree at a smaller school in the Twin Cities. I was confident in my photography skills but knew I needed to learn the business side to be successful.
I moved to Austin, Texas in 2010, after my sister had been here for a while and convinced me it was amazing. I knew it was a better place to start a photography business – so I made a move! We worked together doing underwater photography for a while until I narrowed down my choice to be a newborn and family photographer in 2012. I knew weddings were absolutely not for me, and with my love for children and close up photography, the newborn and family niche was a perfect fit. When I first started, I worked other full and part time jobs + photography to pay the bills and get on my feet. My business grew quickly, though, and it was less than two years before I was able to support myself and go full time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think my degree in business has made the road smoother for me ! I always say the best thing I did was learn business because you can be the most talented person in the world, but if you don’t know how to run the business side of things, it will be very difficult to make it a career. Working two jobs and managing to schedule when I first started was a struggle at the time. However, I am now working full time, with a five-year-old and nine month old at home, which poses a time management and energy struggle! Full-time motherhood + a full time career is no joke. ?
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a newborn and family photographer and documentary family filmmaker. My clients choose me for my bright, playful photos and their natural look, along with my use of light and angles. I am so proud of the business I’ve built and my large, returning client base. The biggest compliment I can receive is repeated business. I have so many amazing families whose children I’ve known since they were babies and are now in elementary school! I encourage my families to relax, let go, and let their children’s personalities shine through, whether that means they smile or not. It’s important to me that my families feel taken care of from beginning to end and that the process is simple and as stress-free as possible. I have a pretty laid back personality, and I feel like you can see in my images that my families have fun and kids are allowed to be kids. This playful yet refined and professional look is the primary reason clients are drawn to my work, along with my use of light and close-ups of children.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the diverse landscapes in Austin! I can shoot in a field, rolling hills, hike a big rock, catch the skyline, a bustling street, or play in the creek, all within 20 minutes from each other. I also love the kind hearted people. One dislike would be the immense population growth. I never thought I would like in such a large city! I’ve definitely seen the change that so many others have, in regards to traffic, less green space and businesses I love closing up shop.
Pricing:
- Newborn – $700-$850
- Family Film – $1050
Contact Info:
- Email: ALISSA@LITTLEDREAMERSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
- Website: https://littledreamersphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littledreamersphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littledreamersphotography
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/little-dreamers-photography-austin
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