Life & Work with Carmelisse Sanga

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmelisse Sanga.

Hi Carmelisse, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When I was younger, I was always the person who had a camera in hand. Whether it was documenting parties or glamming up my little sister to have a mini photoshoot at home. I never thought anything of it because I thought that’s what people did all the time.

When I got to college, I wanted to do the logical thing and pursue something that made good money and what society deemed as “successful”. So I got a bachelor’s degree in computer science, a minor in mathematics, and got a job as a software engineer right out of college.

It wasn’t until I started working when I realized that I was unhappy and followed this path for all the wrong reasons. In my heart, I felt that I needed to get aligned with my core values. No matter how much I fought it, I wanted to quit my job and so I did. I took some time to travel, live in a different country, get in touch with my roots, and became more self-aware. I have learned so much about myself in a year than I did in the last two decades of my life.

You can only hide your true self for so long. I followed my curiosities and my heart led me back to my roots; photography. I just kept documenting and capturing everything until people started noticing. Then I started getting asked to photograph weddings. I never thought that I could make a living doing what I love and I honestly say that I have never looked back since.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road getting to where I am. In fact, I think it will always be a continuous journey if I want to keep growing as an artist.

Back then, the hardest part for me was having to quit my job and essentially start over. I felt bad because it felt like I was wasting my education by pursuing something completely different. I was also worried about what people would think. People used to be so impressed when I’d tell them that I was a software engineer; it was such a respectable career. The downside is that I wasn’t happy deep down. I felt like I was living a lie and was only trying to please others.

My challenge now going against the grain of what people believe the definition of success is. Now, whenever I tell people I’m a wedding photographer, they don’t really know how to react. Being an artist has such a bad connotation especially since most people immediately perceive us as “starving artists”. In Asian culture especially, you should get in the medical field or something of that caliber. Even though it doesn’t sound as impressive as my engineering past, deep down I feel good in knowing that I am pursuing my true calling. That I am maximizing my own skills and talents because I’ve taken the time to learn about myself, my strengths, weaknesses, and core values.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in intimate unconventional weddings. I welcome all kinds of love and I care about representing diversity. It’s easy for wedding photographers to follow Instagram trends and only photograph things that will get them “more likes”. I’ve met other photographers who only wanted to take on couples who looked like models and had planned extravagant details that would get their weddings published. I don’t care about any of that stuff. I just care about being able to connect with my couples and being able to vibe well with them. I found that most of the people I photograph have been kind and prioritize authentic moments over perfection.

I guess I would say the thing that I’m most proud about is that I am able to make my couples feel comfortable. It’s truly about listening to them and being able bring out their innermost beauty. I always say it’s not about me, it’s about you and I care about serving you.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Long Beach is such a welcoming community. I would say that a lot of people here are individualists and we love and respect one another. I’m grateful to say that I live in a place where I’m surrounded by so many unique and talented artists. It never feels like competition around here, but more like a community.

If you’re from Long Beach or LA in general, the number one thing we dislike (aside from traffic) is the fact that we can never find parking anywhere! Haha.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://carmelissephotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmelissephotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmelissephotography
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/carmelisse-photography-long-beach-2
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/carmelissephotography/_saved/

Image Credits:
Carmelisse Photography