Today we’d like to introduce you to Keidy Moreno.
Keidy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in the small town of Maracay in Venezuela. I am the youngest of three children. Growing up, I always had the urge and desire to travel and explore new places. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved photography.
As a child, one of my favorite games was to take pictures of my friends. I had a canon 110 camera and I carried it everywhere (I still have this camera if you can believe it!) At age 17, I represented my State Aragua in the Miss Venezuela competition which then earned me the honor of representing my country at the “Miss World Super Model” in Beirut, Lebanon. It was after winning the title in Lebanon that the business of international modeling opened up to me and with it the opportunity to travel the world. At 18 years old, without knowing any Italian or English, I moved to Milan Italy and signed with Fashion Models Management. It was scary but incredibly exciting to start my adventure, though I did travel back to Venezuela regularly to finish my technical degree in the arts and visit family. Modeling was a wonderful experience for me. I’ve lived in six different countries, worked in well over 300 cities and signed with ten different modeling agencies worldwide. I met my husband while living in Milan.
In 2008 my husband and I moved to New York, then Los Angeles in 2011, where we continue to reside. Throughout my life and on every adventure my camera is always accompanying me. I would say my passion for photography morphed from hobby to profession while in New York after my husband gifted me a semi-professional camera. It inspired me to rediscover myself as an artist, to study the craft, find my unique style, create a business plan and ultimately, pursue a career. My evolution as an artist never stops. I continue to study and find inspiration wherever I can and create work that resonates with me and leaves me feeling like I’m growing as an artist.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve definitely had my share of obstacles but nobody said it would be easy.
Having left my family at such a young age, living in all these foreign places around the world, I have to admit, I’ve had to deal with my share of loneliness. In modeling, loneliness, coupled with the reality of relentless rejection can lead one to feel quite isolated. Language has also proven to be a challenge at times. English is my third language, which I learned in my mid-20s, so it can be difficult to navigate the business world when not being 100% proficient in that given language. Just wrapping my mind around starting my photography business in the United States was an obstacle. There was a lot of fear in taking such a big step to invest my time and money into the unknown, especially with no guarantees of success. Ultimately, after breaking through the obstacle of self-doubt, I feel like every day brings me closer to my destiny.
Please tell us about Kei Moreno Photography.
Kei Moreno photography is not only my business but also the place where I get to explore my creativity every day. Photography feels like a natural progression for me in my evolution as an artist. My modeling background has definitely informed me as a photographer. From lighting to posing and positioning, my experience in front of the camera helps guide me as a photographer. I can sympathize with clients/subject because I have been in their shoes. I like to make my subjects feel comfortable and safe when we shoot. I think it is important that they feel good about themselves and relaxed. I like to think of my photography as unique in that it attempts to personalize and adapt to each client depending on their needs. My ultimate goal is to capture each subjects unique beauty, a magical moment, and of course make my client happy.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memories from childhood would have to be when we would take road trips in the Amazon with my family. We slept in tents in the open air under the stars and showered under waterfalls in the jungle. Each day we would travel to a different exciting location, all the while communicating by walkie-talkie with my cousins and uncles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.keimoreno.com
- Email: morenokei@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/keidymoreno19
Image Credit:
by Kei Moreno
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
