Meet Vané Gutierrez | Photographer

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

Hi Vané, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always been the, “friend with the camera.” After years of encouragement from friends to take photos professionally, I finally believed them. I had my magical, “Si se puede,” moment of clarity and confidence. I got out of my own way, and started learning what it would take to start my own business. I wish I had kicked imposter syndrome to the curb earlier. Worried less about whether or not someone would hire me, or that wasn’t “official” enough; the only thing stopping me was me. Now, here I am, fully embracing this path. I’m a photographer with my camera in hand, heart on on my sleeve, ready to document life moments.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I thrive on clear communication and transparency, and my art is no different. I capture the love clearly communicated by stolen glances, the joy of belly laughs, the authenticity of messy toddler kisses—those beautifully transparent moments of emotion and life are the art. Moreover, it takes an artist to facilitate a space where clients feel safe to fully be themselves, express emotions, and never having to wonder what to do with their hands. That is what sets my art apart: it is comfort, honesty and authenticity—with a little extra cinematic sparkle.

I am most proud that I finally had the guts to call myself a Photographer. For years, I stayed in the background, taking photos for friends and family, telling myself, “No one will pay money for this.” But after enough love, encouragement (and let’s be real—some gentle pushing), I started Flash of Forever, and I haven’t looked back.

Flash of Forever is less than six months old. So when asked how I got here, I paused and looked around the theoretical room that is my business. Wow, I have already made great strides. Registering my business, creating a website, attempting social media, and connecting with clients. I spend more time on the business than the service and I’m hoping one day I’ll be able to say the opposite. I have much more to do, so much further to go, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time.

“Easy,” would not be a word I’d use to describe starting a business while raising a tiny human, fighting off imposter syndrome, learning to charge what I’m worth, navigating the legal business stuff, creating contracts, social media, and squeezing in editing during nap time—it’s been a whole journey. But every moment that has led to an all-caps-full-of-punctuation-gallery-response of, “I LOVE THESE SO MUCH!!!” Makes it worth it.
Leaning on my community has helped me through it all. This could look be a quick text to ask for advice, a playdate and brainstorming session, vision journaling with other creatives, or to work on our respective crafts at a coffee shop without saying a word to each other.

The lessons I have learned along the way are: Community is everything. Find your people, learn from them, and love them hard. Boundaries are not optional—they’re self-care. Success doesn’t have to be loud. Sometimes, it’s having your art hanging in a client’s living room.

What I want the world to know about me, Flash of Forever, and this journey is that it’s always been about more than just taking photos. I’m walking the kind of path that younger me would’ve been proud to follow—one rooted in creativity, courage, and a whole lot of heart.
From the moment someone books a session to the day I deliver their gallery; my heart is fully in it. I am just as excited and emotionally invested as they are! I’m here to create a space where people feel seen, celebrated, and leave with memories that feel authentic and beautiful.

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?
If my sister ever made it out here from Virginia for a week—kids and all—it would be a full-on memory-making, churro-eating, sand-covered, joy-filled adventure.

We’d start with the obvious: Mexican food. Every. Single. Day. No regrets. Somewhere in the middle we’d make room for that glorious cheese-wheel pasta, because balance. And because I enjoy a good chai, we’d explore a different coffee shop each day, hunting for the perfect cup.

Here’s how our dream week would go:
Sunday: Straight to the beach.
Monday: The Wild Animal Park—because nothing beats wide-eyed kids seeing giraffes up close.
Tuesday: LegoLand; This might be more for the husbands than the kids.
Wednesday: Another beach day, obviously.
Thursday: Thrift store hopping.
Friday: Cruising Grand in Escondido, then a golden hour photoshoot at Leo Carrillo Historic Park (I have to document this week obviously).
Saturday: One more beach day to soak it all in before goodbye hugs and cries.

We parent with the same heartbeat, and seeing our children full of wonder, and in a deep sleep early, oh that’s the good stuff!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Snoop Dogg gave an acceptance speech once saying, “I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work.” I acknowledge that have done so much to get where am at, but I still would not be here if it wasn’t for my community. My husband, friends, mentor, Escondido Public Library (seriously, shoutout to free resources), the other business owning woman walking the same road as me:
– Mei Bautista at Daydream in Escondido
– Molly Garcia with Busy Moms Socials
– Erika Nunez, Selina Barajas, and Cam Morales with TresManas
– Hannah Urrutia a doula starting out

This is my community, and they have been so important to the success of Flash of Forever.

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/FlashofForever

Image Credits
Molly Garcia + Bob Solis