Summer, Unscripted - Where have I been?
A season of saying yes, switching plans, and keeping my eye awake.
During the Spring, I put in a lot of effort planning out my entire year to continue fostering my photography brand. I was riding a wave of momentum by having gone to London and having published my latest photo zine “Solo in the Smoke”.
My summer was going to consist of a photo project chasing the sunny vibe of New England, filled with city day trips around the East Coast, sun-filled beaches, late nights with friends sprinkled with a mix of Las Vegas neon and Miami heat while two of my favorite artists lit up the stage.
That was the storyboard.
The reality, as the rest of this blog will show, was messier and much more human. Plans shifted, calendars cracked, and I learned a deeper lesson: to welcome change as it comes and use it to sharpen who I am and how I see. This diary is that pivot in real time: a season of switching plans, staying present, and letting each twist become a prompt to grow my photography rather than a reason to put the camera away.
Changing Jobs and First Photogig
Summer started by an unexpected change in jobs. If you would have asked me if I was planning to leave my company, I would have probably said no. After 6+ years —my first job—it felt like home. I knew everyone and everyone knew me. Everything I did was like automatic, but deep down I was yearning for a change in environment. Then an opportunity appeared, fast, and I said yes.
The new role is fully remote and in a space I’m still learning, which has been equal parts exciting and emotionally exhausting. It’s also why my photography went quiet for stretches this summer. But that pause taught me a lot about myself. Like it or not, my identity is wrapped in my professional persona. It is something that I have struggled with at times and have learned how to mold and evolve to embrace the different facets of who I am. Yet, when that professional foundation is shaken, I forget how easily it is to ignore self-recognition and self-worth. I’m relearning to give myself credit for simply showing up, learning and improving day over that. I am glad to say that I have already received a lot of praise in the short time in the new role and I am learning to embrace praise, rather than minimize it.
A job is nothing without the great people next to you
Right before I left Moderna, a closer peer of mine asked if I’d photograph his family. I was thrilled… and terrified. I’m a street photographer at heart; suddenly I had to deliver portraits that felt like them and still felt like me. Editorial portraiture is something that I want to venture as I mature as a photographer, but it does take a different approach than snapping abstract street scenes.
Fortunately, I had plenty of self-portrait practice and also searched deeply for confidence to pull this off. Two small kids meant the plan was less “pose board” and more games, patience, and fast shutters. I leaned on the same instincts I use on the street—watching for micro-gestures, listening for laughter cues, being ready when a moment snapped into place—and let the session breathe.
What worked
A quick walk-and-talk to start; everyone forgot the camera.
List of shot ideas to use as a framework
Starting with family “posed” pictures first, while kids were engaged
Simple prompts: “race to dad,” “do a fun face,” “show me that toy.”
Letting chaos be part of the story instead of fighting it.
Later that night, I drove back home and immediately started editing the images. This was because I was very anxious of not getting good shots or having out of focus images. I am happy to report that I loved the results of this shoot. The images capture the uniqueness of the family, while also keeping the candid elements, which I adore in photoshoots.
Below are some of my favorite shots from the shoot (thanks Greg for the trust!)
Two Chapters with Mom: Both filled with Love
When my mom flew to Boston this year, we did something new for us: a slow visit. Morning coffee, relaxed days watching television, exploring new cuisines and a day trip to Newport, RI.
Fun fact: since I adopted photogrpahy, family time has become more important for me. Photogrpahy has provided me a stronger vehicle to create memories. You see, I grew up in an environment where I often diminished the value of creating memories with my family, but as my parents have gotten older and I mature in my own self, I have re-ignited the core value that is family and the importance of creating moments we can laugh and think of years from now.
My mom has been someone who supports me in anything I do, and photogrpahy has been no different. She knows that being around me, probably means being asked to be her model. I love showing her how I chase backlight, create new compositions, asking her to “stand right here” as the sun glows on her skin. She has even become a great photographer herself and taking some bomb pics of her own son with my camera!
Then, a hard pivot. Soon after she got back to New Mexico, a medical emergency snowballed into an impromptu elbow surgery. I was in the middle of leaving my old job, but there wasn’t a decision to make—I flew to Albuquerque. The rest of that week looked nothing like the New England summer I’d sketched. Instead of beach trips, I had desert heat by day, hospital evenings, and a head full of “what-ifs” with her medical team. I wanted to make a small Albuquerque series, but my focus belonged to my family.
Here’s the part I’m proud of: I reminded myself I’m no less of a creative for setting the camera down. Presence counts. I wrapped up work transitions, sat bedside, watched blue hour climb over the Sandias from the parking lot, and let my creative practice evolve and it needed to during this emotional time.
She’s home now, doing well, and already lobbying to be my model again… or not.
Plans are drafts
Family is the headline
Creativity isn’t a meter you need to keep fueling. It’s a mindset that changes with you
Neon & Heat - Enjoying the Heat in Las Vegas and Miami
The Vegas trip came together fast. Literally a “why not?” decision to see Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and celebrate the new job. It was short, hot, and exactly what I needed. Spent most of the time just enjoying spending time with my sister, eating, drinking and relaxing by the pool. I snuck in a tiny poolside shoot as a way to capture the moment. Sometimes, photographs don’t have to be these well-composed images with technical prowess, but rather a simply snap to capture memories. The concert itself was incredible. Didn’t take shots during the show, because I forced myself to just be present, but it was truly incredible taking a little mental break, after the emotional turmoil.
In contrast, Miami had been on the calendar for months—first time in the city, Cuban heat, and a date with Lady Gaga. The show got canceled at the last minute, but the city still stole my heart.
One interesting accomplishment from this trip was at a gay brunch at The Palace. I decide to own the confidence in my photographer identity and asked if I could take some pictures of some of the people around the venue. Most said yes. That small act reconnected me to the feeling I had in London: walking proud with my Fuji in hand, seeing people as stories, not just subjects. The pictures are some of my favorites all summer.
Courage can be 15 seconds long - ask, smile, shoot and say thanks
Turning the Page
Fall is here and Winter is quickly approaching. The air’s sharper and the sweaters have come out. Work is still renting a lot of space in my head. I’m choosing kindness anyway: toward myself, toward a photographer’s journey that ebbs and flows.
As the months unwind, I’m hoping to explore more of New England and New Mexico during this time. I am also planning a couple of visits to California for work, so will definitely be bringing my camera along with me to capture some shots of the Bay Area.
If this summer taught me anything, it’s that life changes mid-sentence. The win isn’t forcing the plan; it’s learning to go with the light that shows up and letting change make you better - at paying attention, at caring, at seeing.
Would love to hear from you!
How was your summer? did it go as planned? any impromptu plans? Feel free to shoot me a message over in my instagram @framesbyalm
I’ve split this finale into two bite-sized blocks: field tips (how to capture stronger B&W in-camera) and editing tips (my go-to Lightroom touch ups to boost B&W shots).
Saludos!
-A
Here are some of my favorite shots from Las Vegas and Miami. Click on the image for the full-sized shot!
