Meet Deb Lopez | Portrait Photographer

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

Hi Deb, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in North Hollywood by a Mexican father and Honduran mother. My mom would take my sister and I to work with her cleaning houses, and later do the cooking and cleaning in our home. My dad worked in construction, and was a great musician who practiced for hours and hours when he got home. They’re both extremely loving, hard working people.

They were both very diligent in everything they did which I’m glad I got to see. Whether it was cleaning, playing music or anything else, I learned to never half ass anything and always do work I’m proud of. This shows up a lot in my photography business, which sometimes leads to hours upon hours re-editing my work hah! But all in all, I’m very proud of the effort I put into it, and the results I get for my clients.

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’ve always loved helping people come out of their shell, and feel uplifted. My ‘Starring Role’ portraits came to life after I pondered on how many people, in particular women, live their lives showing everyone else love, but not themselves. Praising women on the cover of magazines, but not the woman in the mirror. My hope is that my clients walk away with not only their favorite photograph of themselves, but an extraordinary experience that expands their love for themselves.

My path to starting my business was tumultuous to say the least haha. I dreamed of being a photographer from the time I was about 16. When I was in college and it was time to choose a major I couldn’t bring myself to major in photography over something with more prestige in the title, like a doctor or scientist. My parents supported me no matter what, but I was just too scared to follow an artistic dream so I majored in plant science.

I worked in environmental conservation for a while, followed by coaching Jiu Jitsu. I love them both and had incredible experiences, but I always felt lost when it came to my career. I didn’t know where I ultimately wanted to go.

It wasn’t until I unexpectedly lost my dad in 2019, and had to build myself back up from scratch that I realized I was just afraid of going for it. I was in a really dark place, but following this vision I’d put off for over a decade felt like a light at the end of the tunnel, and it brought me back to life.

Confidently stepping into your power is contagious. I hope this is something my clients not only feel by celebrating themselves, but spread out into the world. Life is too short to not believe in yourself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you want to have the best time ever, you have to include some jiu jitsu training! You can find fantastic training at New Ground Jiu Jitsu, Street Sports Simi Valley, and VMAC which are all in or near the valley (my hood). Hitting up and doing a photoshoot in Malibu is a must followed by breakfast foods and a purple haze at the 101 café. I love finding cool outfits and accessories I can use for my shoots so shopping in Downtown LA and eating inside Grand Central Market is a solid day trip. One of my favorite things about LA is its diversity, so supporting the local food vendors is a must. Eating at La Chispita on Lankershim Blvd and other taco trucks/stands in the area is definitely one of my favorite ways to eat. The music and comedy scenes don’t get much better than LA so I’d definitely check out what’s happening at the Wiltern or one of the other venues as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade for a solid night of comedy. Oh, and Amazing Thai Cuisine and Antequera de Oaxaca for some fire mole would definitely make the food list!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents and sister were integral pieces to me getting where I am. They weren’t just great role models, but after losing my dad, they were the reasons I kept moving forward and continued looking up. Honoring my dad’s memory, and wanting my mom and sister to be proud of me are definitely my driving factors. They’re the reason I decided to start my business in the first place.

Website: https://www.deblopezphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deblopezphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebLopezPhotography