local storiesSeptember 26, 2022

Conversations with Fatima Elreda

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Fatima Elreda.

Hi Fatima, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, it’s wonderful to be interviewed. I’m a Wedding Photographer based in Los Angeles and I love photographing events and moments that follow a couple’s life. These include weddings, couple sessions, and family sessions. I got into weddings professionally 5 years ago, but I was introduced to photography over a decade ago. When I was younger, I was fascinated by the shoeboxes that were filled with photographs under our beds. That is how my parents stored them. I would sift through the photos for hours, mesmerized by the idea that moments of life could be frozen in time and be held physically. My dad gifted me my first camera when I was about ten years old and I photographed everything from day-to-day to our family events. Photography felt like the closest thing to magic I could get my hands on. About five years ago I was exposed to the art of weddings and fell absolutely in love. In love with the humans, I met their stories, the different walks of life, the entire experience of being able to photograph it all. That’s where we are today. I am incredibly grateful to photograph the day-to-day (family and couple sessions) and the important moments (proposals and weddings) of life for people. I am very lucky to call this my job.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road. I grew up in a low-income household and community. Therefore, being able to afford the best and greatest gear did not happen quickly and watching others do so was hard. I drove a ’97 Avalon until recently, that was breaking down left and right. I borrowed my dad’s car often because I didn’t trust mine to take me to my farther away weddings and sessions. I also shared a room with my siblings for most of the beginning of my professional career so my “work from home” was usually in a hustling coffee shop. I was also a full-time student for the first half of my career. And let’s not forget the fiasco that 2020 was in itself. Although there have been struggles, they helped make me the photographer I am today.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a wedding photographer based in Los Angeles. I specialize in intimate to medium-sized weddings (from 30 guests to 120). My shooting style consists of a photo-journalistic and true to life approach. I try to strike a balance between who my couple is as a unit and my own experiences behind the camera as a photographer regardless of what type of event or session I am photographing.

During my weddings and sessions, I’m very proud of being able to put my couples at ease early on in our shooting time so that we can truly create meaningful photographs for them. I don’t pose heavily, which I feel sets me apart from others in the industry. This also helps my photo-client relationship feel much more genuine. Not posing my couples allows them to avoid feeling awkward and allow me to photograph them in a way that brings out their personalities naturally. I, of course, still help guide them and communicate with them throughout the session, making them feel comfortable. But I feel this approach really helps build our relationship and helps me create beautiful imagery.

I’m also incredibly proud to be able to offer film and instant film during wedding days and sessions. I feel that being a hybrid photographer allows me to give more value to my clients. This is another aspect in my business and my creative offerings that I feel sets me apart from many in the industry.

What are your plans for the future?
My plans and ideas are never-ending. The biggest new thing is, like I said earlier, that I have added film photography to my repertoire. This, I feel, has enhanced the value that I can offer my clients and this truly gets me very excited! Sometime in the future, I definitely plan to get my hands on a studio space where I can begin to offer studio sessions as well as the natural-space sessions I offer now to give my clients an extra option. Those are really the biggest plans I can think of right now.

Pricing:

Portraits start at $400
Couples start at $750
Elopements start at $2500
Weddings start at $4000

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Fatima Elreda Photo

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.