Daily Inspiration: Meet Cathy Romero

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Romero.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Of course- I’m a professional portrait photographer in Los Angeles, CA. My speciality is capturing emotion and candid shots for couples, engagements, maternity sessions, family photos, weddings, graduations, events, you name it. I love the dramatic shots too, so beautiful sunsets and sunrises are also a speciality of mine.

I am a proud older sister, which means my two little brothers were my first models, followed by my high school best friends. I’ve been blessed to come from a creative family; my dad was always so into the arts, my older cousins as well, and I had really great teachers that honestly always encouraged me along the way.

Photography is a true passion of mine and I’ve been photographing everyone and everything since I was in single digits. I know how vulnerable it can be to put yourself in front of a camera, so I always take a lot of care and am honored when people trust me to document their relationships and their milestones.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think when you’re an artist, you always want to prioritize the work and as your business grows and you evolve, you learn you also have to prioritize the business part of things too. So that for me, is still something I’m learning more about.

And then, of course, when it comes to photographs- and I say this to clients all the time, we are our own worst critics. So, I’ve definitely had moments where I wanted a different result and whenever that happens the resolution is always repetition, exposure, and practice. So much of shooting has become second nature to me now because of how many hours I’ve put into my work.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a professional portrait photographer, photographing mostly in Los Angeles County and sometimes Orange County.

Honestly, if I were to pick one thing that I am the most proud of in my work, it has to be the families I work with that have neurodivergent children.

It’s so fun to photograph families in general; you see how their kids grow, how relationships evolve, how styles change. For me, it’s truly special to be part of capturing those memories. Adding onto that, however, I have been very lucky to work with several children with autism, physical or other disabilities and capturing them is very rewarding.

When I was in college, I was a Behavioral Interventionist for a couple of years so I’ve worked with neurodivergent children. I got to see day-to-day of all the love and effort that these families put into raising their little ones and getting them the help and resources they need. So, when you see them smile in a photo, or make eye contact and really put in effort, to do something that so many of us take for granted, it’s something really special.

As for what sets me apart, clients have told me that I make them feel very relaxed in front of the camera, that I’m very patient and that I’m great at capturing the little moments.

What matters most to you?
In photography, it’s capturing a client’s vision and their story. I’ve worked with brands that work really hard and want to present themselves in a professional and authentic way. I’ve also worked with families that are wrangling everyone together for a big beautiful shoot and my goal is to capture that moment, yes, but also to make the most of that moment that we all have together. This way, when you see the photos in 5/10/15 years, my hope would be that it takes you back completely.

What matters to me the most in life? Family, friends and of course my two sheepadoodles.

Contact Info:

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