Meet Trailblazer Gena G Silva

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gena G Silva.

Gena, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in the small Texas town of D’hanis, thirty miles outside of San Antonio, so small, in fact, you can drive right through it in under sixty seconds. It was there, under the beautiful Texas sun, that my passion for photography blossomed. When I was ten years old, my mom, Sandy surprised me with a Barbie Polaroid camera and, in turn, created a monster… that pink magical time freezing contraption never left my side! During my teens, my lovely Aunt Sylvia photographed weddings and signed me up as her assistant with such events. It was during those events, that I learned to use my first “real” film camera. I can’t thank those wonderful ladies enough for stoking my interest in photography — Like a brush fire, my love for capturing moments spread. It was sometime after high school when my boyfriend at the time, John Manak (my, now, fiancé) opened my eyes to the beauty of abandoned structures. The dilapidated wood. The rust. The history you can touch. He taught me there’s real beauty in everything… even the things that terrify you most. Locked away behind all the ancient knobs, all the dirt, grit, and grime — there’s beauty to see. There’s beauty in everything. This is when I began taking photos of historic buildings throughout my area. I was obsessed.

One day, in particular, I was shooting the front of a local church that burned down some years back, when a gentleman approached and asked to see the pictures I had taken. I obliged and he was taken aback. His wife had grown up in the area but they had long since moved away and were actually looking for ways to decorate there home with some “home town flavor”. Since they were only in the town for the day or so, he offered to buy my photos then and there, paying 100 dollars on the spot and an additional 500 for a number of others I’d send him in a few days. I had a revelation, if I keep working hard at this, I could really make a living doing something I love.

John had moved out to Los Angeles to pursue some work in the entertainment industry and it wasn’t long before that $600 dollars served me as moving expenses to make my way in L.A. It was in the big city my love for street photography began. A treasure trove of hidden beauty and broken things. Photographing a million passersby in a million corners of this city, suddenly something clicked — portraiture. That’s what I wanted to explore next.

I began researching the art of portrait photography vigorously but it wasn’t until I discovered Sue Bryce (and all her amazing work) that I honed in on my path. I spent every single day for an entire year studying Sue’s work, learning about the business, equipment, proper posing, and lighting. It was an amazing journey that all came together one day when I was exhausted at my day job — last minute my shift was extended to a double — and thank God it had been because this is how I met Sue Bryce. (There’s beauty in everything.) She was so gracious and lovely and this life changing moment provided me with the confidence to continue moving in the right direction. Since then, she’s been so wonderful to include me in her workshops, photography classes, and has even taken my portraits. She’s an angel and a real guiding force in my life. I can’t thank her enough.

Though you never stop learning about your craft, I finally felt it was time to put my knowledge to the test. I began photographing everyone in my life that would allow it (and a few who wouldn’t too). Friends. Family. Friends of friends. Co-workers. My cat. You name it. If it had a heartbeat, I was taking its portrait. I didn’t have a studio at the time, so I would scout out interesting walls across the city for a unique backdrop. Having no other choice than to shoot outside, I learned to love the use of natural light and till this day, all of my portraits are lit with our sun. I shot this way for about two years.

Although I still love shooting outside, I started to dream of creating a more luxurious experience for my clients; with hair and makeup, styling included, privacy, and a controlled setting. My fiance, John, came up with the brilliant idea to convert our bedroom into a portrait studio and to sleep in our walk in closet. I know… it sounds crazy and it was — just crazy enough to work! That’s exactly what we did. The bedroom had the best light in the house and the idea was too good and weird enough to pass up! A room is only what you say it is… and, again, there’s beauty in everything. I ran my business this way for over a year.

We no longer sleep in our closet, but I do still have my portrait studio in our L.A. home, as well as, another in Hondo, Texas for when I visit home. A very special thanks to my family, friends & family soon to be — to all the people who have helped me get to where I am today, for all those who never stopped believing in me. I love you all!

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?
Everybody’s road has some bumps along the way — sometimes, even cliffs — I’ve just learned to appreciate them all. (There’s beauty in everything, remember?) We learn most from those moments. The hard ones. That’s just the truth of it. You’ve got to accept that. I am very lucky, however, that I always had the love and encouragement of my friends and family. My main struggle came in the form of self-doubt… she’s a real callus bitch. I’d lie awake and wonder if I was wasting my time if I was just throwing money away on something that would ultimately turn into a hobby. I think my biggest growth came when I picked up that bag of self-doubt and made that callus bitch hit the road.

Those thoughts are artificial, they don’t benefit you — in fact, they want nothing more than to take you down– it’s up to you to make them hit the bricks, so you can keep moving forward. There’s no cookie cutter way in creating the life you want — and if there was, I wouldn’t trust it! I didn’t go to college, but I educated myself by doing something I love every day; studying photography, doing my own research and putting what I’ve learned into motion!

For the young women out there — keep moving forward — each step is one closer to that dream. Whatever it may be. Find a mentor, someone you look up to. Someone that is living life in a way you aspire to. Ask them questions. They’re probably more eager to share than you think. Join a group or community with similar interests as yourself. Engage, learn and create. But most importantly, be honest with yourself — stay true to who you are as an individual and remember there’s beauty in everything.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Gena G Photography – what should we know?
I believe that everyone deserves to have photographs of themselves that they love. Though, I understand that it sometimes can be a struggle to see your own beauty. In all it’s forms. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to help people exist in photographs they love; to capture the best portraits they’ve ever seen of themselves and to create tangible heirlooms that will be cherished for lifetimes. To create an experience for my clients that they will remember forever! A majority of my clients have never had their portrait taken and in-fact, “hide from the camera.” It’s my mission to change that perception of themselves — allow them to see, what I see every day, that beautiful inner light that too many have forgotten about! I know what beautiful looks like and I can see it in everyone– and I know how to capture it with my camera! I photograph everyone– men, women, children, families, couples– But I specialize in photographing women of all ages, shapes, and size.

The Gena G Photography Experience:
When booking a photoshoot, I discuss with my clients thier wardrobe, hair, makeup and styling preferences for the day. In my studio, I provide a wide selection of glamorous wardrobe outfits that all my clients are welcome to use during their shoot. On the actual day of the photoshoot, my clients come to the studio & begin the makeover process. My Glam Team, Toni Burns, hair stylist extraordinaire & Luba Cohen make-up artist perfection-ado, work with our client bringing out her natural glamorous nature. Once the process is complete, I photograph our clients in (6) of their most cherished outfits. I direct & guide them into poses that flatter & bring their natural beauty to light! Once the photo shoot is concluded, I select the best of the bests and get started on any professional retouching they might need. Once they’re ready to be revealed, I invite my clients back to the studio for their personal Reveal Session — the first time they get see their portraits in person.

It’s an incredible feeling! Honestly, the biggest joy in my work comes from witnessing my clients fall in love with themselves again. It’s why I love what I do — and why I’m reminded I’m doing what I’m meant to do and it’s something to be proud of!

As far as what set’s me apart from others — who knows? Living in L.A. with thousands of talented photographers — I just keep moving, simply focusing on my clients & the things I can do for them. In 2018, when everyone has a digital camera lodged in their front pocket — it’s easy to get stuck in the digital world. Billions of photographs are being taken every day but how many are we taking the time to stop and look at… and how many of those are we actually printing out to display in our homes… it’s kind of sad to me, you know? They’re living on social media and on our phones but sitting on the couch, looking at old photo albums with my grandmother are some of my fondest memories. I just don’t want us to get too far away from that, you know? I think it’s extremely important to print our photographs so, they can exist for future generations. This is why I believe in providing printed photographs for all my clients. It brings me joy knowing that, quite possibly, in one hundred years…those photographs will be displayed proudly in somebody’s home.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
An amazing resource that I still use today is Sue Bryce’s educational site — teaming with everything you’d need to know from building a business from nothing to learning to value yourself as a professional artist.

Pricing:

• Signature Luxury Portrait Sessions start at $300 – includes ( 1 ) printed portrait + hair & makeup styling for one.
• Portrait Collections start at $750 – includes print + digital version.
• A La Carte Portraits start at $250 – includes print + digital version.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.genagphotography.com
• Phone: 323-943-1991
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/genagphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/genagphotography

Image Credit:
Gena G Silva, Sue Bryce, John Manak, Toni Burns, Luba Cohen, Francie Tomalonis, Nicole Caro, Chelsea Vanatta, Kate Johnson, Denise Buitre, Kristen Robinson, Ashanti Evans, Annie Quinn, Heather Horstmann, Sylvia Lutz, Christine Laura, Sandy Silva, Jessica Lutz, Sophia Lutz, Phoebe Phillips, Chris Day, Melanie Stott, Joe Manak, Stacy Kingsley, Michael Silva, Lena Silva, Caitlin Curl, Brittney Isaacs, Natalie Grey, Ruby Goldin, Diana Spieller, Romiah Puertollano

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