Meet Our Goddesses - Ariana
We’d like to introduce you to one of our brand photographers, Ariana and her story of working with us.
Hi, I'm Ariana and it's a pleasure to meet you. Here you will discover a little about me and my profession as a photographer.
Well, I am a Brazilian photographer and my hometown is Campo Grande. It is a big city with a small town feel where many tourists visit the Pantanal, a natural region that encompasses the world's largest tropical wetland area and flooded pastures in the world. What I like most about Campo Grande is that we can easily see macaws flying and singing around the city.
Today I live in Cambridge in the UK for at least one and a half years. I moved to England with my husband after he received a proposal to work in London and of course, he asked me if I would like to have the experience of living in another country. As a photographer, I couldn't say no! So, since we arrived at Gatwick Airport, I am still in love with England.
I am a freelance photographer and I really love what I do. I started my photography business in 2016 and taking photos has always been something I have enjoyed but never even considered it as a career as it was my hobby. In 2016 when I finished university I decided to make a business of it and I haven’t looked back since!
We wanted to know what she likes about the UK and how she has promoted herself and her business.
When I say this the British are shocked by me, but what I like most about UK is the weather. Perhaps because it is so different from my city; here the seasons are well marked, so we can differentiate between summer, spring, autumn and winter. In my region in Brazil it is usually 38 degrees almost the whole year… OK, I can say we have 2 weeks of winter with between 17 to 22 degrees.
Also, here there are other things that I love, and sorry, I don't know how to choose between one of them so I will try to be quick: I love to know about the history of the world and to me the UK tells a lot about it. Not to mention that London is a cosmopolitan capital and very organized compared to others in the world and here also there are a lot of job opportunities and amazing places to photograph.
How would you like to develop your career in the UK?
In Brazil, I shoot a lot of family and weddings, but ever since I moved here, I've been developing myself in the commercial photography sector and I am loving to do it. One of my career plans is to focus more with professional photography for social media and web sites: lifestyle and branding.
What have you done to promote yourself?
When I moved to England I didn't know anyone, so I started to contact some London influencers via Instagram. Soon after they talked about me on social media, several people came to me for rehearsals and weddings and I started to become known with more people starting to see my work and become interested in it.
The same thing happened when I started on A Gift From The Gods. I was interested in learning more about commercial photography and how to work with it, so I requested the opportunity for freelance work experience and to spend time in the studio. From then I became a photographer of the brand based in Cambridge and I am very happy since that.
What did you achieve?
I managed to learn to think about the research and planning of a photographic project. I learned that looking for references does not mean doing the same work as another photographer, but it is an inspiration and a way to organize your line of thought for your own session. I researched, planned and managed a lifestyle and branding photoshoot in Cambridge.
What advice would you give to someone to build their portfolio and develop their skills?
My advice is: never stop yourself, go for opportunities and create trusting relationships with your clients. If you find a project that can help you a lot, go to talk with them and offer your service as a volunteer. These can help you to showcase your skills and willingness to work. Make the effort to learn and adapt.