New Neighbors community members, Paula and Alex, recently launched their Photography business My Eventtú. Paula chatted with our staff to share how it all started and how they include their three children in their artistic pursuits. They photograph New Neighbors events, including our friendsgiving dinner and our World Refugee Day Summer Welcome Party.
You can reach out to myeventtu@gmail.com with inquiries or to book services!
Can you share more about your new business, My Eventtú?
Our business starts with photography. We also set up decorations for events like birthdays or social parties and we do hair and makeup — everything related to art and creating an experience.
In Colombia, all of us were artists and dancers. We had careers in photography, makeup, and dance. When we came to the US, we started doing other things, but we wanted to improve our income and enjoy our jobs, and we especially wanted to introduce our twin babies to the art world, so we created a new business, My Eventtú.
What is your main focus in photography?
In addition to doing photography for parties or social events, we really enjoy doing movement photography for dancers and photoshoots with different concepts and themes.
“Our daughter Sarah was always involved in the art world. She grew up dancing and performing, but when we came here, we had to change everything.”
How did your family's creative background influence my My Eventtú?
When we were in Colombia, this was our life. Our daughter Sarah was always involved in the art world. She grew up dancing and performing, but when we came here, we had to change everything. We weren’t able to continue our art. Sarah didn't understand why we had to stay in the US, and we couldn't explain the real reasons why we were here. So, Sarah continued to pursue art on her own. At some point we, as parents, felt that art was really a bridge between us and Sarah, so we decided to reconnect with that creative side and build a business that allowed all of us to be artistic.
As a collaborative family business, what are the responsibilities of each family member?
We do everything as a team. Alex, my husband, is the principal photographer. I do administrative and planning work, like the communication with the customers, logistics, bills, and invoices. Our college-age daughter, Sarah, is just starting to learn about work, and we are supporting her in this journey by helping her grow her business knowledge and technological skills. She is in charge of social media, editing, and marketing My Eventtú. We are all artists, however, and each one of us is ready to handle any of these areas.
What you most proud of as a photographer?
We are not ordinary photographers; we are a family, and we want to express love in all our services. We believe that photos capture the memories of life. When we take a picture of someone, we want to capture the emotions behind it. As a family, we feel honored to create special moments for others. Just recently, we had the opportunity to work with a mother whose pregnancy was a miracle because she had waited so long for a baby, and that was very special.
“We’re grateful to put our talents to use for a community like this.”
What was your experience last year at the New Neighbors summer party?
As artists, we love to engage with and learn from different cultures, and at that party, there was a friendly familiarity and such community unity.
How does it feel returning back to the summer party, but this time as a photographer?
We feel like we’re showing up not just as photographers, but as part of the family. In other words, we don’t feel like it’s a job. We’re grateful to put our talents to use for a community like this. We strive for excellence, but it never feels like work to us.
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