Today we’d like to introduce you to Faith Schwartz.
Hi Faith, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’m a child of the vibrant 80s and 90s, hailing from the heart of Texas. As an only child, my childhood was a whirlwind of moving from place to place.
My closest companions were the world of books, and I had a particular fondness for magazines and the enchanting concept of travel. It was my stepfather, a well-traveled man, who opened my eyes to the wonders of the world. He possessed an extensive collection of slides, and on special occasions, he’d bring them out, sharing tales of his adventures in far-off lands like Australia and Fiji. These colorful stories ignited a passionate desire for travel and an appreciation for diverse cultures, as I couldn’t get enough of those vivid slides.
This infatuation naturally led me to a fascination with magazines, especially National Geographic. I’d lose myself in its pages, marveling at the captivating images of distant places. Secretly, I harbored a dream of becoming a National Geographic photographer.
However, the career landscape was evolving rapidly during my formative years. I grew up in the era of the “College Dream,” right before the turn of the millennium, with the uncertain job market fluctuations driven by advancing technology. My parents were very practically minded and thoroughly against any kind of arts career. So I entered college with the idea of going into to computers, which were of passing
interest to me, but certainly not a passion, except in their ability to connect people. My main goals were really to escape home, have fun and find a way to use school to travel.
However, when I entered college in 2001, literally the first month of my my Freshman year, the world was forever altered by the tragic events of 9/11. Suddenly, my dreams of travel seemed further out of reach.
During this period, my closest friend was pursuing a path in musical theater, and I found a temporary place in the world of tech theater, starting with Theatre Makeup. It was here that I had my first true encounter with the power of photography.
One memorable project required us to sculpt our own faces out of clay. This meant scrutinizing every detail of our own faces for an extended period. I happened to possess a digital camera, a relatively new piece of technology at the time, equipped with a swivel screen, which allowed me to take self-portraits.
It was during this process that I confronted long-standing issues of body image and self-esteem. As I captured self-portraits for the project, I was forced to make peace with what I once considered “imperfections.” It was a transformative realization – the acknowledgment that nobody is truly flawless; we all have our unique quirks, like a slightly crooked nose or a smaller eye.
Through these self-portraits and subsequent explorations in photography, I discovered a newfound ability to embrace and accept these idiosyncrasies. The art I created began to reflect my emotions and I began to try and convey powerful meaning and allegory, leading me to recognize the profound connection between meaningful art and a meaningful life. In this revelation, the idea of both seeing and capturing real beauty unfolded before me.
As you know, we’re big fans of Faith Schwartz Photography. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
The path I’ve traveled hasn’t always been smooth; it’s been marked by challenges and setbacks. I’ve always struggled with genuine inter personal connections. I originally thought it just be a product of being an only child who moved a lot. I was 38 before I really understood and embraced that I have am Autistic/ADHD and my brain just works different.
That being said, I found myself feeling extremely isolated when I became a SAHM with my third child. I began to seek out community and mother’s groups and was very blessed to find a couple great ones.
It was these groups that really incubated and fostered my budding passion into something more.
I used my camera as a way to genuinely connect with other mommas. I would bring it to playdates and take candid images of mommas loving on their babies. Initially, I shared the images I captured for free, considering them my heartfelt gifts to the fellow mothers who formed a close-knit community of support and love.
Gradually, this evolved into something more as these moms began seeking me out for Bluebonnet photos and Mother’s Day snapshots. It was the birth of my first photography side hustle. However, in those early years, I lacked business acumen and the ability to establish clear boundaries. This lack of structure took a toll on my work-life balance, affecting my family and causing friction in my marriage. Ultimately, I had to take a significant step back.
In 2017, we moved away from where we had lived since getting married and where I had established a hard won sense of community.
Once again, I found myself searching for direction and a sense of community, and I turned to my camera to forge connections. This time, I purposely launched a business with an more organized approach and nurtured it until 2019.
Sadly, life threw another challenge our way in the form of a heartbreaking stillbirth of our sixth child, Talia Joy, due to undiagnosed ICP.
The maternity photos I had taken during that time became priceless mementos, serving as the only images I had of her during her brief time with us and marking a distinct before-and-after in my life. It reminded me again of the power and sacred responsibility we have as portrait photographers.
Then on top of my personal grief, the tumultuous year of 2020 arrived, bringing a profound blend of personal and the universal uncertainty of the world. It became a struggle to pick up my camera. Consequently, I made the difficult decision to officially close my business and wait for a more favorable time.
In 2021, as the world began to slowly open up, I decided it was time to rekindle my creative passion. I relaunched myself with a renewed focus on mothers and their precious babies.
Since then, I’ve expanded my portfolio to include headshots, branding, seniors, and couples. I also do end of life, hospice, and funeral/memorial photography when asked. Despite the challenges and obstacles, here I stand today, driven by a strong determination to capture the beauty of life’s moments through my lens.
What makes you happy?
Genuine authenticity is what truly fills me with joy. Life is an intricate tapestry of both beautiful and tragic moments, marked by the inevitable presence of trauma. Through my own journey, I’ve come to understand that to heal, we must first confront and embrace our pain.
It’s when I witness people expressing their true selves without pretense or masks that I’m most inspired to be alive and to create. The raw, unfiltered authenticity of humanity is what ignites my happiness and fuels my creative spirit. It’s why I do what do, capturing authentic moments of true emotion from the fun and beautiful, to the difficult and tragic.
Pricing:
- Maternity starts at $260
- Newborn starts at $460
- Seniors start at $360
- Headshots start at $160
- Custom Branding starts at $360
Contact Info:
- Website: www.faithschwartz.
photo - Instagram: www.instagram.com/
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- Facebook: www.facebook.com/
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