We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Ramirez-Adams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
This is a big question for me because there were plenty of times where my photography career stalled but as I look back at all those moments I’m glad I was able to find employment where I was developing skills & learning new things that are very helpful to me now.

In 2010 I hit the wall creatively & I found a job with a boutique company that specialized in making beautiful handmade photo books & heirloom products. I enjoyed working in a creative environment & with many talented photographers. I learned about the importance of a beautiful presentation & offering quality products because you believe in the value of your images. I did a lot of self introspection during that time & when I took the leap in 2016 to start pursuing new ideas I was fully motivated. I love how the technology with cameras & photography has evolved & I’m excited every time I pick up my camera & explore new ways to create & tell a story. That excitement keeps me from giving up & want to get better.

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 have always loved the magic of photography. How you can capture a moment, create art from light into a beautiful print & now videos. That is what I do, capture moments. I have captured moments on the streets, runways & red carpet of LA. I created multimedia (stills & video) portraits of musicians I’ve met through Winslow Ct Studio, my husband’s recording studio. My life changed in 2017 when my parents entered the twilight of their lives & I had to start flying from my home in LA to Houston to help care for them. Up in the air I took solace in looking out the window & capturing the beauty of the luminance of the colors of the sky. After a few years I realized I had a new body of work & inspired by the Transcendental Painting Groups I created some collages of the sky into what I call transcendental landscapes. Exploring the spiritual in nature has expanded into sharing the beauty of the California Coast & zen quality of landscapes. I love sharing that beauty in fine art prints & multimedia films.

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’m glad we can do this in a week because here are my favorite recommendations. First let’s take a drive, a simple drive on Sunset Blvd. That one street can take you to DTLA & to the ocean. Let’s start the drive to DTLA & we can have brunch at the Farmers Market, explore the architecture of Disney Hall (free), check out art at the Broad Museum (free). Sunset Blvd is great because you can see Echo Park, Silverlake, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills & keep driving into the PCH where now you can enjoy the views of the ocean. I ALWAYS recommend a drive on the PCH. Have fish tacos at one of the stops in Malibu, watch a sunset & on the drive back take in the night lights of Santa Monica boardwalk. Another day I would recommend taking in a good hike with great vistas. One of my favorites is Griffith Park, park by the Greek & take the trail by it. Great views, good workout. My new favorite hike is Hahn Park in the Spring. I’m an art lover so I would also recommend an afternoon at LACMA (even though half the museum is closed for renovations now) it has a nice park area & next to the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures & if you like cars The Peterson Museum. Finally another roadtrip so why not to Huntington Gardens. So much to see there so take your time & smell the roses.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been lucky to have a supportive family & husband. They have posed for me many times! Sometimes support can come from meaningful gifts as well. My brother, Marcus has always been my biggest fan & his gifts mean a lot because they show his belief in me as an artist. His generosity is insightful & always gives me that extra help that is needed.

Website: www.mramirezphoto.com

Instagram: @m.ramirezphoto

Youtube: /c/mramirezvideo/featured

Other: https://www.mramirezfineart.com/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.