An Inspired Chat with bianca reyes of los angeles

bianca reyes shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

bianca, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
I’m chasing connection.
The start of everything for me was finding something tactile that made the people in my life happy, and photography became the instrument that helped me connect to the things I found most important. I didn’t realize it at the time, but every photo I took was me trying to hold onto people, places, and feelings — trying to communicate something I couldn’t say out loud.
If I stopped chasing connection, I think I’d lose the thing that makes photography feel alive for me. It’s never been about just taking a picture I thought was beautiful. It’s about taking something that resonates with me and noticing that other people feel the same way. The way someone reacts, how an image becomes part of someone’s space, or how it reminds them of something they forgot — that’s what I’m really chasing.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Bianca Reyes, and I’m a photographer currently working in the art department at NEXT Models Management in Los Angeles.
I moved from Miami to LA a little over a year ago, and it shifted the trajectory of my life. The job, the environment, the people — it all brought me to a place where I can finally say, “I’m doing the thing I’ve always wanted.” Seeing my photo randomly show up in HBO’s Instagram post, or shooting Aidan Bradley before his A24 movie Warfare premiered, sounds a bit like a fever dream. It’s exciting to be constantly surrounded by art and to work a job where I’ve watched models go from new faces to walking for Off-White and think, “I was there to see that happen!”
Outside of work, I shoot for people, brands, and landscapes, and occasionally take on print commissions. The special thing I take pride in is that I learned how to do a bit of everything. The “fake it till I make it” mantra really worked for me to the point where I can confidently say I can do more than one thing.
If there’s a story behind what I do, it’s that I want to build a space where what I have to offer is enough. I want to create a brand centered on connection, the kind that brings me joy by seeing other people feel joy through my work.
That’s why I’ve been working on a print shop this year. It’s still a work in progress, but I wanted to share one of the reasons I’m so passionate about photography in the first place. Seeing my mom adorn the walls of our family home with my work ignited the very connection I was chasing. It was something I had to offer even on the days I felt like I had nothing to give. My work gave people something. And what better feeling than knowing someone might use your work to make their space feel happier or more like home?

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My mom. The other day, I mentioned my short social battery, and she said, “You’ve been like that since you were a baby.” It made me realize how closely she’s always paid attention. She saw everything: the day I started drawing, the million hobbies I picked up and dropped, and the day I became completely obsessed with photography.
She watched me learn and try everything under the sun and always gave me unwavering support. She knew what I wanted before I even knew how to want it. I don’t think I’d be doing what I love today if my mom weren’t so cool with having a “starving artist” for a daughter. All jokes aside, she’s my biggest fan.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Honestly, more than once. Back home, there were so many quiet days where I questioned if any of this was going to lead anywhere. Even now, I have days where nothing goes right and I briefly wonder what I’m doing.
But by the end of the day, it always comes back to the same thing: there’s nothing else I’d rather do. Now I shoot almost every day, and it’s so easy to forget the stress when I’m in that moment, showing a model the photos and seeing their excitement. That feeling grounds me.
The only rough days are the ones when someone comes in already dreading the shoot. Then I feel stuck, because it’s hard to build a connection with someone who doesn’t want to be part of the moment. But even then, all it takes is one good photograph to remind me why I chose this.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
The biggest belief I’m committed to and one that’s taken me years to learn is that you can’t make everyone happy.
I used to measure my worth by whether anyone was complaining about my work, my efforts, or my presence. It was exhausting, and honestly, an awful way to exist. Trying to be everything for everyone only raised my anxiety and gave me this false sense of control. But the truth is: you can do your best, and it still might not be enough for some people, and that’s okay. Your self-worth doesn’t belong in someone else’s hands.
It’s okay to be selfish about your happiness. When you start focusing on what genuinely makes you feel like your best self, everything around you shifts. You become more rooted. More intentional. More yourself. That’s the project I’m committed to, even if it takes a lifetime.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I’ll tell you one silly moment I was at peace.
It’s Aspen, Colorado, 2021. I’m in my Aunt Christy’s beautiful home, and I disappear — like I always do — to catch some photos before blue hour disappears. I lug my tripod, camera, and phone out into the cold and set them up by the creek, pointed at the cabin. I click the remote on my phone and start a slow shutter that feels like forever but is so worth it.
Looking at the photo afterward, I can see my cousins and sister inside the windows, staring at me like, “She’s been out there for thirty minutes, I just want to eat.” I didn’t even notice their impatience. I was so deep in my own little bubble that nothing could burst it. I was so comfortable in that silence — a silence I didn’t feel the need to rip out my hearing aids for — that it felt like the whole world paused with me.
It made me think about all the little moments where I find that same peace: going outside barefoot in the freezing dark just to photograph deer; paddle-boarding for an hour and a half, exhausted, for one perfect shot of birds lifting off the rocks; setting alarms for 6 AM on vacation because the sunrise might be unforgettable, and I need to document it.
I know I said I live for connection, and I do, but I also live for those slivers of peace where my discomfort disappears, and all I can think is: I’m so happy I’m right here.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://biancareyesphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biancareyesphoto/

Image Credits
for my headshot : shot by Khoa Trinh