Meet Karina Santos | Wedding Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karina Santos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karina, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I came to the United States from my home country of Brazil with the dream of becoming a full time wedding photographer. I believe that one of the most important factors behind the success of my business and brand is the 100% belief in myself and my abilities. I stuck by myself (and had some amazing people stick beside me as well) and never once thought I might not be enough.

As a wedding photographer, I work with couples on one of the most important days of their lives. Prioritizing listening to my couples’ needs, wants, and desires about their special day is another huge reason for my success. I pride myself on giving the best client experience possible. My reliability, communication, and most of all, my creativity, allow me to not only understand what my clients want, but also what they want but can’t quite express. Basically, I DELIVER.

I am constantly inspired by my clients, and that inspiration turns into passion with each new couple I work with. In the wedding industry, passion is another necessity for success.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am originally from São Paulo, Brazil! I grew up in a very humble and hardworking family, and honestly my entire community was both hardworking and humble as well. I began working at the age of 14 as a camp counselor, so I have been perfecting my work ethic for quite some time now. I’ve always been into photography, and I was often found playing with my family’s camera when I was a child. Eventually, I finally decided to pursue my dreams. I got into college with photography as my major. Apart from photography, I had always dreamed of traveling the world and living abroad. I finally came to the U.S. in 2016 as a student. After I received my degree, I got a job at a studio, and then soon after that, I started my own wedding photography business.

I got married to my amazing husband in 2017, who has been one of my biggest supporters ever since. I am now a full time wedding photographer, and I have been working extremely hard at growing my business to places that I originally thought were only in my wildest dreams.

I have had quite a few struggles in my life and in my time as a photographer, but nothing that I would ever complain about. Each of these struggles has taught me something valuable, that I continue to use to this day.

First was the language barrier. This is something I still struggle with occasionally, but not nearly as much as five years ago when I first moved here. Obviously, communication is a hugely important skill to have as a wedding photographer, so this is something that I worked very hard to overcome, and am still working on now.

Next, I had to work on the work/life balance of being a business owner. As entrepreneurs, we wear many, many hats. Sometimes it becomes hard to juggle, and my personal life suffers because of it. Setting boundaries for your clients as well as yourself is something that is super important to do. When you own your own business, it’s also easy to be too tough on yourself, so giving myself grace is something I’m always working at.

I want the world to know that I am my brand, and my brand is me. I’ve put my entire heart and soul into my wedding photography business. We are a package deal, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spot in San Diego is Balboa Park, hands down. It’s a huge urban cultural park with museums, theaters, the zoo, and multiple stunning gardens and other perfect spots for couples portraits! (wink wink.) Honestly, you could spend the whole week exploring this park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out Nat Payne at https://www.instagram.com/natpaynemua/?hl=en

She is just a beautiful soul, incredible creative, and awesome person to work with!!

Website: https://www.karinasantosphoto.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karinasantosphoto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photokarinasantos/

Yelp: https://www.facebook.com/photokarinasantos/

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/karinasantosphotography/