Meet Alaina Nunez | Birth Photographer and Doula

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

Hi Alaina, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
It was around the time my 2nd child was about 6 months old. I would always pose my kids and take pictures of them, and that’s when the thought came to me. I would have loved to hire a photographer to come to my house and take pictures, instead of having to go to a department store photo studio (nothing against those but that is all I knew about). Being a parent of little ones, I was quite the germaphobe and the thought of taking my new baby into a studio like that did not sound appealing. So, I thought, maybe other moms feel the same way. When I started my business almost 15 years ago, my tagline was “traveling portrait photographer, I bring the studio to you”. I specialized in everything (haha), but mostly focused on newborns and families. Not too much has changed, though I did focus on weddings for a time. While still having little ones, I didn’t feel comfortable booking a wedding with the possibility of being very pregnant or having a newborn by the date of a client’s wedding. Now my focus is birth, newborn, and family photography, as well as being a birth doula, which I have really enjoyed.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I have learned to create more boundaries around my personal life. Initially, I thought anytime I would get an inquiry that I would have to photograph them as soon as possible. I would rearrange my personal schedule to accommodate a client session, and they didn’t even necessarily ask me to “fit them in”; it was just what I did. I don’t know if balance has changed as much as my boundaries have, or maybe they just go hand in hand.

Things and people that inspire me would be, my kids, my family, God’s love, light, words, my students, my clients, nature… I know everyone and everything is created for a Divine purpose and taking the time to observe that and capture its beauty inspires and drives me. Kids are so full of ideas, creativity, and emotions that it is hard not to be inspired by them. I feel so blessed to be able to raise and guide my six kids and I want them to see how I see them within the photographs that I take of them. They are so unique and amazing.

If I had to pick just one important lesson that running my business has taught me it would be, work on my mindset. Mindset is the biggest hurdle to overcome. As artists, it can be hard to “sell ourselves” essentially because our work is an extension of who we are and not believing what we create is worth as much or more because of self-doubt or impostor syndrome is something that gets in the way of being successful and making a profit.

I am a big proponent of and am always encouraging my kids and students to get out of their comfort zone. We will never grow if we stay in our comfort zone and never take any risks. There is also that possibility of living with regret if we don’t even try. I played softball in my teens and early 20’s and now my boys play baseball. It always happens that after one gets hit by a pitch it makes them a little “gun shy” and jumpy up at the plate. They become more reactive than proactive, so they don’t swing and either get lucky and walk, or strike out. I tell them, if you swing, you are giving yourself a chance at succeeding and hitting the ball, but if you don’t swing, if you don’t even try, there’s zero chance of getting a hit. Even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or what we expected, it is still more rewarding knowing that we put in the effort and tried rather than giving up before we even start.

As an extroverted introvert, I get out of my comfort zone all the time; meeting people in person for networking, going to events, calling people on the phone, getting up in front of an audience to talk about what I do, reaching out to individuals when I have a concept in mind, telling people what I do and really, just showing up.

Schedule blocking has been great in helping me stay productive. For instance, if I know I have 2 hours in the morning to get some work done I take care of emails first, then work on other things next, such as editing. I don’t have social media on my phone, and I only have it connected on my laptop which is not the computer that I work on in my office. It is going back to those boundaries that I mentioned earlier, because let’s be real, getting on social media is like going into Costco or Target; you go in for 2 things (20 minutes max) and come out 2 hours later with a cart full of stuff you didn’t know you needed.

I have found that when I have creative freedom and get to create what I think will look good or what I get excited about, then my clients are happiest with the results. They hire me for my style and expertise, so that is what I want to be able to deliver to them. I have also been told that I have a “calming presence” which is really part of my brand as well, since it is part of me.

I believe we were all created to create in some capacity. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and I was given the gift of resourcefulness and vision. When I was 10, I put together an overnight camp for girls who were only 2 years younger than me. This camp included a small fee and an agenda with devotionals, crafts, and food. I think I broke even, or maybe my mom fronted me some money to cover the expenses, but everyone had fun and I would call that a success.

I don’t believe I would still want to run a business if it didn’t involve creating. I get invited to be in the most intimate of spaces during the birth of a child! I am so honored to be trusted with supporting my clients whether with my camera, my touch (if I’m their doula), my words or simply my presence.

Being a photographic artist and running a creative business is more than just selling our wares, it is about showing people who they are. It is about sharing with them that they are seen, they are valuable, they are loved, and they are here for a purpose. I want them to see what I see, because what I see is beautiful.

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?

We are really so spoiled living in Southern California with all of the amazing natural environments that surround us. I can drive about an hour one way and be in the mountains, less than an hour another way and be at the beach and then about two hours away and be in the desert and depending on which way you go you can pass vineyards and farm lands.

The beach is typically where most people want to go when they come visit and I love camping so we would probably do that. If it’s snowing we would go up to the mountains and stay in a cabin. You can probably tell I love being out in nature and soaking up all the goodness that God created for us to enjoy.

A good tip would be, take the metro train and don’t worry about the traffic or parking. It is quite relaxing to take the train. You can go to downtown LA or South OC to the beaches or even the Mission in San Juan Capistrano.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family, especially my husband and parents have been so helpful and supportive as my business has grown. My kids are always great at jumping in and helping whenever I need extra hands as well.

Website: https://www.alainanunez.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alainanunez/ and also https://www.instagram.com/alainanunez_birthstories

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainanunez

Facebook: www.facebook.com/alainanunezphotography and also www.facebook.com/alainanunezbirthstories

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/alaina-nunez-photography-la-mirada

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8xSKoltxd_rrFPEQxLfdzg/videos

Image Credits
All photographs created by Alaina Nunez