Today we’d like to introduce you to Graciela Ramirez-Rivas.
Hi Graciela, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello there! I am a photographer. I am also a wife to Angel Ramirez. I am a mother to Isaac and Iris. I also am a woman living with ADHD and C-PTSD. My family came from Jalisco, Mexico when I was almost two years old. I have been living in Minnesota for 29 years now. Growing up I always straddled the threshold of two worlds. The two worlds Being Mexican and trying to assimilate in an English-speaking culture so I wouldn’t stand out. For many years I made myself small or lashed out to hide the insecurities I felt growing up. My parents faced many hurdles on their way to their “American Dream” and in the process bruised me beyond recognition. Many children of immigrants may know to sympathize and empathize with my experience. It is not all rose-colored glasses and optimism. In fact, it can be quite dark navigating this country as an outsider and foreigner. Many of us children of immigrants tend to grow up much faster or tend to be crushed under the obligation and pressure of being crutches for our parents. Somehow, someway, I found refuge in books about far off lands or fantasy worlds like Harry Potter that became my saving grace. Art and literature have always been the balm to my wounds. When I was 17 I married my husband. We were 17 and 18 years old. He was in college and I was a senior in high school. My husband has a DJ company with his father and one day we decided to add on photography. I had no experience but like much of my life, I rose to the challenge and faced it head on. That was almost 14 years ago. My husband and I built our business and made sure our foundation was strong. He would DJ or do cinematography and I would handle the photography portion of it. Balancing it all was so easy. My undiagnosed self thrived under the pressure of it all. I didn’t realize I could stop trying to survive and finally live until just recently in my 30th year.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Challenges…. oofff. Where do I begin? I lived undiagnosed with ADHD for years and just recently was diagnosed at 31. I may not go into details too much about my traumas growing up but it was significant enough that I developed c-PTSD. Learning to forgive and move on has been tough. Raising children and learning to be healthy parents and spouses has been a process that will be never-ending. There have been times when I should have been dead but God or whatever “force-greater-than-ourselves” has intervened. My marriage is what saved me. My husband pushed gently and coaxed me to think bigger. His love healed me and continues to do so. Not only did we build something great business-wise, but we both grew up together in our marriage. Both of us left behind traditions that no longer served our growth. The Mexican culture is filled with Machismo and Marianismo. Many of you know what the Machismo mentality is. Marianismo is the rhetoric that woman must be submissive and suffer to be a perfect woman or housewife. It goes beyond that. Yes, I do cook and clean.. But I am not the only one. Yes, I do stay home and take care of the kids. But, I am not the only one. My husband helps. We both are business owners and parents. It can’t be 50/50 but %100 from both of us.
Also, for many years I didn’t have papers to work. I became a permanent resident around my 20s and just recently became a citizen in 2021. I remember having to go to school as a senior in high school, do my homework and then come home to clean up as much as I could. Then I would head out to work as a waitress for just my tips. Other times I would clean homes or make food to sell. The work ethic instilled by my hard-working parents stuck with me and made me push regardless of the outcome. On the weekends or after work I would fit in small sessions.
Once I became a resident I worked a factory job and cleaned houses on the side as well as did photography. When I became pregnant with my son I had a lot of complications. My husband and I weighed the pros and cons of leaving work to pursue photography full time. This was almost 8 years ago. I was making more money on my side hustle than on my real 9-5 job and the decision was made. We opened up our first studio in Maple lake, then in Buffalo. Being pregnant with my second child made me realize that this was what I was made for. I can do it. My studio moved once again to Victoria, then Mound where I shared a space with other women. I found my mentor and my business shifted. I was now making enough money where I could make a real living. Paying your bills with your art feels so damn good.
I now have my own studio in Glencoe. This place is my own. I no longer am surviving but am finally living. I am the person my younger self needed and the parent I deserved.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I consider myself a professional photographer. Photography helps capture souvenirs in time. They take you back to a moment that is unforgettable and is worth immortalizing. I meet so many people from all walks of life and make lasting friendships. The most humbling aspect of being a photographer is that I get to see people’s families grow and age.
Some of my clients start out as sweet fifteen gals. Then I do their senior photos. Then their wedding. Soon enough a young couple gets to be parents and I get to be there for it all. It is beautiful and so humbling to be able to be a witness to it all.
I only take on about 10 weddings or big events. What I love the most are the maternity sessions and family portraiture. Capturing the moments where a woman feels the most powerful and vulnerable at the same time is awe-inspiring. I meet these women and learn a bit of who they are. Let me tell you… Women are so underestimated. We are powerful in our femininity.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
What have I learned through my experience? I learned to stay a student to your craft. There is always something new to learn. Stay humble and be kind. You never know what the next person is experiencing and you could be their saving grace. Friendship is found in the most unlikely of places and love, not time, heals all wounds. Love can be the love of your spouse, the love from your kids, your pets, or your job. Ultimately it is self-love and belief in oneself that will heal. Perfection does not exist and also, give yourself grace. Learn to actively listen to others and to yourself. Also, failing in something does not make you a failure. It makes you brave. You tried and it didn’t work out. That is ok. Rest. Rest and then rise to the occasion of the next challenge.
Pricing:
- $250/hour general rate for sessions
- $250/hour weddings
- Product and digitals are sold separately
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.photosbygraciela.com
- Instagram: @photosbygraciela
- Facebook: @graciela.r.rivasphotography
Image Credits
Graciela R. Rivas
