Meet Ana Sofia Leonard | Photographer, Admissions Outreach Coordinator, Military Wife, Mother.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ana Sofia Leonard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana Sofia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to start a new hobby that I have been passionate about for a while, with the hope that I also could make it into a business. As a military spouse, it is hard to find a stable job due to moving around or difficulty with schedules. Becoming a photographer allowed me to have a more flexible job, and take my job anywhere I go. It is also a great business that lets me spend more quality time with my daughter since I work in my own schedule.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started being passionate about photography when I was a teenager. I got my first camera at a young age and started doing “photoshoots” with my middle school friends for fun. I realized I really enjoyed taking photos, but it was not until recently that I decided to turn it into a business. I come from a family of recognized photographers in Mexico, and my great-grandfather was a very famous photographer back in the day, he even owned a camera factory where he invented several NOBA cameras in 1949. I believe the eye for photography runs in the family. my photography is special because it is very genuine. My favorite photos are always candid and I make sure to capture natural moments that are real, instead of a forced pose or a fake smile. I love being able to take photos and have special moments frozen in time so that people can look back at them and smile. Starting a photography business is not easy, since there is a lot of competition and a lot of photographers in the area. I believe that it can be challenging, however, I see it as an opportunity and truly think that there is a market for everybody. Each photographer has a different shooting, editing, and aesthetic style so that brings the opportunity to stand out. I have learned that I can achieve everything that I set my mind to as long as I give it my best effort, and that motherhood is not an obstacle to be able to reach my goals. My photography focuses on families, couples, maternity, children, and lifestyle photography in general. The goal of ASL photography is to capture beautiful moments in time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
San Diego is a phenomenal city, with many different experiences to be had. If I only had a week to visit I would start by going to Balboa Park, walking the grounds, visiting the museums, and grabbing lunch at Prado. I would take the evening to go downtown to the Gaslamp. I’d grab dinner at Cafe Sevilla or Lumi. After dinner enjoy the night out at one of the many speakeasies San Diego is famous for, I recommend Noble Experiment or False Idol (Rum lovers’ dream). I’d make sure to take a day and drive up to Carlsbad, stopping at La Jolla on the way back down to the City to see the sea lions. I highly recommend spending some time out at Coronado as well, visit the Hotel Del Coronado and take some incredible sunset photos. While on the Island one of my favorite restaurants is Bluewater Boathouse, right across the street from Hotel del Coronado. It’s safe to say San Diego is known for its Mexican food. Make a point to grab breakfast at El Carrito in Barrio Logan, and you MUST try tacos el Gordo. While in San Diego take a day to visit the Zoo, be prepared to do a lot of walking if you intend to cover the whole zoo in only one day (It’s that big). And if that isn’t enough wildlife for you the Safari Park just north of the City is a 10/10 experience. You will feel as though you are on a real African Safari. For the wine lovers, San Diego has some amazing vineyards and wineries. There are so many to choose from and honestly, all of them I have experienced are great. Some other great experiences I recommend are catching a Padres game, visiting an old town, shopping at fashion valley, and grabbing a Pie (or two!) from the Julian Pie Company, and eating some authentic Italian food from Little Italy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank my family for always supporting me and pushing me into pursuing my dreams! My family has always been supportive in everything I am passionate about, and they always find ways to help me achieve my goals. I want to thank my great grandfather who was also a photographer, for inspiring me to be interested in photography. I also want to thank my parents for giving me the gift of education and making me achieve my goal of graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business. Last but not least, I want to thank my husband and my daughter for always inspiring me to be the best version of myself and being my biggest cheerleaders!

Instagram: https://instagram.com/anasofialeonardphotography?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091803776850&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Ana Sofia Leonard