Meet Alexandra Arroyo | Photographer / Nursing Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra Arroyo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
It all started back in high school when I first had my DSLR. I love taking photos and my main subject was food. I’m a huge foodie! I mean, who isn’t? It was later on that I gained more confidence in terms of photographing people. My fiance amd dog were my test subjects aka model. I reached out to my family, friends, co workers to get more experienced. I joinedc various photography groups and then it went from there.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Castle Photography is my baby. I never thought I would be in this industry t all! I think what sets me apart from the others is my creativity and to be able to push through whatever adversities. We are all creative in our own way. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. What I really love about my business is that I am able to capture different characters, the smiles, the laughter, and everything else in between. I am their hype woman! I want them to see how beautiful and amazing they are. To be able to make my clients happy and confident is what I get so excited and giddy all the time. I get where I am today because of my hard work and grit. It was definitely not easy. I work at a pharmaceutical company all while being also a full time nursing student. I am a very shy person and to be able to stand out and market your business you have to put yourself out there, be creative, market /advertise your business. I had to do a couple of TFP’s to gather portfolio and learn my craft at the same time. It is more than just clicking your camera. There are good days and bad days, but I overcome my challenges by taking care of myself. I know when I needed to do a mental health check. Always listen to your body. Don’t over do yourself cause it really affects not just you but your work as well. The lessons I’ve learned a long the way is that you don’t be too hard on yourself. Be honest and be kind no matter what. Keep moving forward and keep on cheering for other people. Community over competition always.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them to a good steakhouse! lol. Take them to NASA space center , Museum of Fine arts and perhaps a quick trip to Galveston.
I am obsessed with Chama Gaucha – so this is definitely where I would take them and have a few sips and clicks at Secret Garden. There’s just a ton of things to do! Reading for me is fun! I love to run and do a bit of hiking so Austin is the way to go for these. Have a little bit of wine tasting at Fredericksburg and hike at Enchanted Rock where I got engaged. But nothing beats being at home, some popcorn and chips while watching horror movies.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Where do I start? I’ve been fortunate enough to have such a huge support group. But biggest shoutout to my mom and fiance. My fiance pushed me to pursue my photography dreams. He was the one who was constantly reminding me that I am great at what I do and I should showcase my talent and what I am capable for. It was him and my mom who were my biggest cheerleaders and my biggest critics. Also , a big shout out to my clients who believed in me. They are the reasons why I constantly want to do better at my craft.

Instagram: The Castle Photography

Image Credits
Erika and Marco Wedding second pic: Aressia