A New Chapter
I dreamed about and fell in love with photography at a very young age. It wasn’t until high school that I really considered photography as a career choice and fell in love with the fashion and beauty aspect of it—namely portraiture. My photographic journey has been tumultuous and sometimes disheartening. I had professors who made me question whether or not I could make it in the field, and it's part of the reason I never really promoted my work or my services. I have loved the images I create but always felt that they never aligned with the style that I envisioned in my head. Being a writer, you may think that I have words for everything, to perfectly communicate what I think, see or want and I’ll be the first to tell you that is not always the case. For the longest time, I have never been able to communicate the type of photography business I wanted to operate. Instead, I did what everyone else was doing, provided what I knew would sell, and I was never confident in my pricing. There was no complete satisfaction with what I was doing. It’s something I’ve struggled with and why I jumped into journalism full-time after graduating college.
When Covid hit, it rocked me to the core. For almost two years, I have gone back and forth between photography and writing and questioned myself every step of the way. The thing is, I’ve always come back to photography. The flame of my passion may have dimmed— I may have felt guilt and doubted myself, but no matter what, it always lingered. The thing is I’ve never been in a place where I could jump into photography full-time. Working a full-time job was a necessity to pay bills, pay for school, support me, and save. I couldn’t fail because I only had me to rely on. I’ve been chasing after my dream in the evening, after work, on the weekends, on breaks. It’s been a process, but one I’m grateful for—despite times of frustration, confusion, or comparison. My journey has been my own, and it all lends itself to the understanding, compassion, and grace I give to clients and friends who trust me to take their portraits.
The more I’ve dived into knowing myself better, healing, and stepping into the woman I want to be, the more I’ve found what it is I want to be doing. I’ve been restructuring my business, re-doing my website, and figuring out the logistics of making it work. I've been putting time into the non-glamourous and back-end of the business, and I can’t wait to introduce you all! I have a deep-rooted love for fashion and beauty, but I am also happy when I'm lifting others around me—when I get to make someone feel amazing and confident in themselves. It’s a matter of combining the two and giving my clients and friends an experience they deserve—whether it's being photographed like someone they admire, or just making them feel supported, loved, and cared for. There is beauty inside all of us, whether we see it or not. I’m here to help bring out the best in you and capture it visually—to capture meaning, a story, and memories in that place and time. Hope Alegre Photography will be elegant, refreshing, and alluring. Let's create something exceptional together!
XO Hope