Meet Ceci Mitre | Fashion Photographer & Food Blogger

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

Hi Ceci, what role has risk played in your life or career?
What I think about risk is that you only have one life and not going for the things that you want will make you have a life that you don’t want. For me personally, leaving my 9-5 job meant not having that extra income but having the freedom to do what I love every single day of my life and being home with the kids made it worth it. A lot of people struggle with the idea that you have to wake up every morning and look for opportunities but quite honestly, that is the most fun thing to do as a business owner. Looking for people with the same mindset as you is liberating and you get to make life long friends and business partners in the process.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a professional photographer and what sets me apart is that I am honest and real with my clients. I want them to have a good time and we can only do that if they know that I have their best interest. I am the most proud of the friendships that have blossomed throughout my career.

I started my photography business as a hobby. I just wanted to take pictures of everything and everyone. It wasn’t until I was presented with offers to photograph events that I began to realize that this was my calling. I then decided that I needed more education to make sure that my clients were well served so I began to attend photography workshops and educate myself. I used YouTube, read books and network with other photographers. It was not easy because I was too much of an introvert and it made me uncomfortable to step out of my comfort zone.

I was able to accomplish that because I usually set small and attainable goals that make it easy for me to go at my own pace. I remember one of my first goals was to be able to call myself a professional photographer in front of my peers without feeling fake and it wasn’t until I lost a couple of hundred dollars that I was able to do that. Losing that money meant that I was on my way to learning that business is hard and sometimes you have to take a step back and really think of how to go forward with the way you do business to stay in business. This meant I not only had to learn about photography but also how to run my photography business.

What I want the world to know about my brand and my story is that I understand how fast things can change and one should really enjoy each moment because you never know when things will fall through. My brand represents capturing emotions and freezing moments.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start by taking my friend to one of my favorite local coffee places either Ambers Coffee or Sand Dust Coffee . We would then drive through Transmountain to see the beautiful scenery El Paso has to offer and take a jog at Ascarate Park where you can jog near the lake. For lunch we would have to try the boil Pig Pen BBQ has or Humo Woodfire Oven Kitchen, they have delicious pizzas but my favorite entree in their menu is their salmon with risotto. I would then take my friend bowling at Oasis Lanes. We would hang out and have a few drinks at Pockets and then have an awesome time Karaoke singing at Rubik’s Arcade Bar.

Since El Paso is so close to New Mexico, I would also take a trip to Ruidoso, Cloudcroft and Whitesands National Park.

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?
I want to give a shoutout and a special thank you to all family for believing in me and always supporting my ideas. I love them all and I couldn’t have done it without their support.

Website: www.cecimitre.com

Instagram: ceci_mitre

Linkedin: Ceci Mitre

Twitter: cecimitrephoto

Facebook: cecimitrephotography