How to Fit Photography Into Your Life and Travel Internationally as an Aspiring Photographer With Mayra Padilla

Mayra Padilla, a San Francisco-based marketing consultant and passionate photographer, joins this episode of the Big Photo Hunt to share how she seamlessly weaves photography into her busy life. Mayra reveals her secrets to landing local and international photo gigs—a strategy rooted in her desire to continuously “learn” while traveling.

We also dive into her approach to capturing the magic of Italy, a country that’s been photographed countless times yet still offers fresh perspectives despite the constant influx of tourists. Along the way, we chat about my favorite Cuban restaurant in Miami Beach—Puerto Sagua—and even surprise-call our mutual friend, Zuzy Martin, adding a fun twist to the conversation. Whether you’re juggling multiple roles or simply dreaming of your next travel shoot, Mayra’s insights will show you how to keep your photography ambitions front and center.

Transcript

00:00:00:27 - 00:00:11:11

Okay, Mayra. Here we go. Don't laugh at the intro. I'm not going to look at you. Okay, here we go. Now I'm going to laugh. Hold on. I’m not looking. 

00:00:12:00 - 00:00:12:19

Lock me out. 

00:00:15:22 - 00:00:37:06

Welcome to the Big Photo Hunt podcast, a show where we talk with aspiring and professional photographers to help us all grow and improve our photography together. I'm your host, Ken Deckinger. If you're one of our community members and you'd like to be a guest on the show, please visit big photo hunt dot com for more information. 

00:00:47:18 - 00:01:40:25

You know, one of the things that I wonder about is how you fit photography into your life. I know that for me and for most of us as aspiring and amateur photographers, there is the question how do we satiate our creative desire to get out there and to make photos when we have life and real responsibilities going on? And so my guest today is Mayra Padilla. Hello, Mayra. I'm super excited to chat because as I've been on my photography journey, I have found that many amateur and aspiring photographers or creative people of any type like myself, find themselves in a position of having to balance out their love for photography and the desire to fit more in and just get out there and shoot and learn and improve with their life, namely work, family and everything else that we all have to do. 

00:01:41:01 - 00:02:06:16

And so we've known each other for a few years. And frankly, you do this this balance well, or at least it appears that you do it well. And it seems that you make a priority for your photography and creative space. And so I wanted to talk to you about your work, your life, how you fit photography into your life in a meaningful and fulfilling way and what it means to you. So Mayra, welcome. 

00:02:06:19 - 00:02:20:14

Thank you. I'm so happy to be here. Very excited. And can just before we start, I just want to thank you for what you're doing here with the big photo hunt. This is like something I didn't know I needed, and I'm really grateful to be a part of your community. 

00:02:20:20 - 00:02:25:19

Well, let's go through the podcast and see if you still want to thank me after after we talk for 30 minutes. Okay? 

00:02:25:21 - 00:02:26:12

Sounds good. 

00:02:26:14 - 00:02:28:15

Before we start, what did you think of the jingle? 

00:02:28:17 - 00:02:32:06

I loved it. Did you? I wondered. 

00:02:32:08 - 00:02:34:09

Like, Oh, why didn't you sell some music? But I. 

00:02:34:11 - 00:02:35:19

Guess a Cuban. 

00:02:35:21 - 00:02:40:23

Beat. I did like it. It's very soothing, which is nice. And your voice is amazing. 

00:02:40:25 - 00:02:49:24

Oh, come on. No, you know. You know what? Actually, it's funny. We've known each other for a while, so you know me. Not everyone else that's listening to this podcast knows how. Not only my voice, but how handsome I am. 

00:02:50:00 - 00:02:50:29

That's true. Mean. 

00:02:51:01 - 00:02:54:06

I was waiting for a wig today. You said you were going to curl your hair too. 

00:02:54:22 - 00:02:58:03

And for our listeners, bald. I'm bald. Very bald. 

00:02:59:11 - 00:03:03:03

So one thing that that's coming up really quickly is. 

00:03:03:05 - 00:03:03:21

I have. 

00:03:03:23 - 00:03:38:22

Loved photography for a very long time and probably since I was a little girl. I had my Fisher-Price camera and my mom set me up with my first camera. I tried to do it, take a photo almost every single day and call myself a lucky photographer because I'm not someone who is super great at the technical stuff. And that's one of the things I'm really excited about being in this community, maybe trying to demystify some of that, but I'm someone who loves to go out, shoot, try different angles, get on the floor on my belly, get on a ladder to try to get the shot that I think I want and then to see what happens. 

00:03:38:24 - 00:04:09:14

And so the way that I have balanced my work, my day work, the job that pays my bills, I'm a marketing consultant. I've worked in branding and advertising for a very long time, is that I prioritize it and I try at the beginning of every year to figure out what I want to shoot and where I want to shoot it and how I could volunteer. You know, it's great to get paid for photography, don't get me wrong. And I've had those gigs where I'm paid for a wedding or a portrait or pregnancy photos, which is one area that I love. 

00:04:09:16 - 00:04:24:12

But for me it's even better to have the opportunity to grow. So I've shot in the deserts of Morocco. I've shot in Sri Lanka, all because I raised my hand and said, I'll do it. I'll go and I'll go learn. 

00:04:24:23 - 00:04:31:06

I want to talk about the pregnancy photos that you just mentioned because that's kind of an interesting niche. Yeah. 

00:04:31:22 - 00:05:11:26

Full disclosure, I don't have any kids. I've never been pregnant. Although sometimes if I extend my belly a certain way, it appears that could be pregnant. But I have always loved the female shape when it's pregnant. And here in the Bay Area where I live in San Francisco, just so happened to be in my late 20s, early 30s, all of my friends were starting to have their first children and just asked like, Hey, would you want to capture this moment? And for many of them it wasn't even something they thought about. One of my favorites was a couple that I know who I got to like, basically get them to skinny down almost to their birthday suits and get in bed with just some really, you know, like, don't worry, this is for the private collection. 

00:05:11:28 - 00:05:25:11

But there was a real beauty to that skin on skin effect and just a way of seeing that stage that I personally have never lived and taking it in. You know, for me, it's just like a little something in my bucket. 

00:05:25:29 - 00:05:29:21

How does that act as a creative release for you? 

00:05:30:15 - 00:05:31:21

The pregnancy photos like. 

00:05:31:23 - 00:06:03:14

Depending on who I'm there. Never the same. Like I'm literally looking for new angles and I'm looking for, for example, with one friend was like really interested in fabrics and how fabrics hung over her belly. I had one friend in a garden, so here was like this visual imagery of everything in bloom and then her actual body that was in bloom. So I'm thinking about like, who is this person? How are these photos going to live not just today, but like 20 years down the road when they show their kids, you know, significant others, these photos of like they're so and so in utero. 

00:06:03:18 - 00:06:16:18

One of the things I love about photography, it's like it captures this moment in time, but it's also a part of a future that, you know, I'm not going to be here for necessarily, but that that photo can live is something that I take a lot of excitement in. 

00:06:17:05 - 00:06:44:16

I think that's really cool. You know, I just noticed that the other day because I was looking through a bunch of photos from during the pandemic and I have photos of my kids and my wife and I and I was down in Florida visiting my dad. And we have photos standing out there and we're all wearing masks. And I look back and those photos are really special now because it was a moment in time that will live not only for me as I look back to them now, but 20 years from now, my kids are going to look at those photos and we're all wearing masks, right? 

00:06:44:25 - 00:06:46:06

This is what we live through. 

00:06:46:20 - 00:07:13:29

One of the things that you talked about, again, was travel. And you also mentioned when we did our little pre-interview chat this idea that sometimes friends don't like to take walks with you because you're out snapping photos. That is something I can completely relate to. And and I've actually had to try and control myself because my wife and my kids were out and all I'm doing is just taking photos, whether it's with my camera or my iPhone. 

00:07:14:10 - 00:07:15:10

Yeah. So I love. 

00:07:15:12 - 00:07:50:07

To take walks. And and one of the ways I love to spend time with friends is to walk versus a meal or a drink or something. And because, you know, again, there's so many beautiful places here in San Francisco, but I've learned that not everybody likes to take a walk with me because even though I'm really present with that person, I'm actually also really present to the environment around me. And so if something if we're talking and something catches my eye, I am going to that thing because I want to capture it, whether it's, you know, light on a tree or a sign or whatever it is. What I've learned is actually rare is the friend who can accompany me on a walk. 

00:07:50:09 - 00:08:02:15

And I have one in particular. Her name is Louise. And, you know, we survived the pandemic by just going out and taking photos together and knowing we were going to be in a conversation, pull apart, come back to it, like pick up where we left off. 

00:08:02:17 - 00:08:04:09

And those are like. 

00:08:04:19 - 00:08:24:20

Sacred friendships for me because it's that alone together thing, like we're together, but we're each in our own orbit and we're with our muses. I'm also aware sometimes when it's not someone who's so familiar with that of like, Oh shit, like tone it down. Maya, don't. Don't take so many photos. It's a dance. And not everybody can do that. Dance with me. 

00:08:24:29 - 00:08:49:23

For our listeners, we have a mutual friend named Zuzy and that's Zuzy with a Z and Zuzy and you were just in Lucca. You were in Italy. Zuzy was with you in Italy. And I was talking to her and that's why I wanted to have you on the show because she's like, you know, I was walking around Luca with Mayra, and she just stops, takes a photo, see something that I didn't even know was there. And Ken, they're amazing. You’ve got to have Mayra on the podcast. 

00:08:50:01 - 00:08:51:27

Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. 

00:08:52:09 - 00:08:54:28

I got that feedback a lot on this trip, which I really. 

00:08:55:00 - 00:09:29:25

Appreciated because again, I'm just doing my thing and I'm not advertising it. I'm not, you know, I'm just kind of in my space, in my creative mindset and the fact that someone notices like, Oh wow, the way you see things, I take it, is like the deepest compliment because I realize that I have a way that I see things that means so much to me. I joke like I'm like rarely is anything not photograph able to me. Like even if it's quote unquote ugly, there's a certain I see a certain beauty to it in that traditionally less considered prettiness, you know. 

00:09:29:27 - 00:09:44:14

And so I just appreciate that she said that. Thank you for sharing that with me. That means a lot and think that's one thing that we, we as photographers and hobbyists and whatever you want to call yourself because think for a long time I didn't feel comfortable calling myself a photographer because I'm like, I. 

00:09:44:21 - 00:09:45:12

Didn't go to school. 

00:09:45:14 - 00:10:11:24

For it or I don't understand all the gear or I'm not up to date on the on the technology, but think it's really important to take that minute and give the praise, share what you love about someone's work because they may not know how to take it in, but I can assure you that it goes in and it's very, very special and very encouraging. So just encourage us as a community to take a moment and share feedback on the work that we do together. 

00:10:12:06 - 00:10:25:14

Yeah, I think it's a great tip and I know I appreciate feedback. Yeah. One, because then I know that people notice what I'm doing and too because it helps me improve. Exactly. So I think we should call Zuzy. 

00:10:25:16 - 00:10:26:06

I would love it. 

00:10:31:05 - 00:10:33:04

Hello. I'm in a loud place. 

00:10:33:27 - 00:10:47:14

You're on the Big Photo Hunt podcast. Hi. We were talking about you because I told Mayra the story about how when you were in Lucca with her and you said, Can you gotta talk to Mira on the podcast? Yes. 

00:10:47:16 - 00:11:01:20

Because the reason I said that is because we would snap the same picture and hers would look like a piece of art. And I looked down and I just like, kind of, like, put my phone away. Thank you. 

00:11:01:22 - 00:11:10:11

I appreciate your ability to hang with me when I'm popping out and disappearing to catch a photo. I want to travel with you again. Yeah, You know what? 

00:11:10:13 - 00:11:22:19

You never know when you travel with someone, right? Even if you love them. But Mayra is a great person to travel with because sometimes you travel with friends and you're like, Oh, we're just going to go out to dinner, friend. But Mayra, you are definitely a travel friend. 

00:11:23:21 - 00:11:25:04

That is the highest compliment. 

00:11:25:15 - 00:11:27:21

Suzy, we traveled together. Yes. 

00:11:27:23 - 00:11:31:08

And we've traveled several times. So now you know, you're in that bucket to awesome. 

00:11:31:27 - 00:11:41:21

You know, this podcast has been great because I've been using it as an opportunity to tell everybody how good looking I am. And now I could tell everybody that I'm a great traveler. 

00:11:42:03 - 00:11:45:04

And you have a great voice and you're a great traveler. 

00:11:46:23 - 00:11:49:29

Mayra, I knew this call was I knew this call was a bad idea. 

00:11:52:13 - 00:11:55:26

Thank you, Zuzy, for answering the call. Yes. 

00:11:55:28 - 00:11:57:07

So great, you guys. 

00:11:57:17 - 00:12:01:10

I'm going to jump off, but thanks for calling me and I'll see you soon. Hopefully. 

00:12:03:05 - 00:12:04:28

That was great. Awesome. 

00:12:05:00 - 00:12:07:12

And confirmation that you're as good looking as you feel. 

00:12:07:14 - 00:12:12:15

Well, she didn't acknowledge that. She actually she actually dodged that question. 

00:12:12:27 - 00:12:17:00

I think she allowed you to have an inner Ryan Gosling, which is good. 

00:12:17:16 - 00:12:33:16

You know, I know Zuzy well, and I know that she dodged that question. She's like, okay, I don't want to offend Ken. I want to be polite. I don't want to be on record answering this question. I'm just going to tell him. 

00:12:34:29 - 00:12:42:14

Nothing. I'm just going to let him stay in delusion. No. Just kidding. What I want. I want to figure out what is the. 

00:12:42:16 - 00:12:43:26

Opportunity that allows. 

00:12:43:28 - 00:12:48:12

You and me to travel together. That's the assignment. 

00:12:48:14 - 00:12:50:05

I'm game for that. I'm game for that. 

00:12:50:07 - 00:12:53:16

Yeah, I'm gonna. I'm gonna put my brain on that. Perfect. 

00:12:53:18 - 00:12:55:12

How was Italy to shoot photos in. 

00:12:56:08 - 00:12:57:25

My God, Italy's so crazy. 

00:12:57:27 - 00:12:58:12

Gorgeous. 

00:12:58:15 - 00:12:59:12

It's. It's. 

00:13:01:02 - 00:13:35:04

Breathtaking. And the people are beautiful. There's one church after another. The food is beautiful. The oldness is beautiful. You know, it's old in a way that it's not old here in the United States. I love Italy. I mean, there's just on this trip I had a couple of times where I had to, like get over my shyness. I'd see a face. I'm really into faces right now. And there are a lot of, you know, beautiful faces in Italy. And I'm really drawn right now to older people, too. It's almost like I recognize that sometimes they may not be seen as well as some other ages and demographics. 

00:13:35:06 - 00:13:37:25

So, you know, I have to get over my shyness and just be. 

00:13:37:27 - 00:13:39:03

Like, Can I take your photo? 

00:13:39:06 - 00:13:40:20

You have such a great face. 

00:13:40:22 - 00:14:07:26

One of the things that I really liked about them was they weren't photos of Italy. They were just really cool photos taken in Italy. Thank you. And you were able to take photos of things that were really beautiful and told stories. How did you go about finding those photos? How do you identify something you want to take a photo of? Italy is like a Disney World. It's like a tourist playground. And not only has every item been photographed, but it's nearly impossible to take a photo without tourists in it. 

00:14:08:14 - 00:14:11:01

Yeah, it's true. You know, it's funny. 

00:14:11:03 - 00:14:26:17

I am not necessarily drawn to like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Like that doesn't do it for me. I might be drawn to the people on the grass in Pisa waiting to get in line or the line going into the Duomo or the little girl having a gelato like it. Just so for me. 

00:14:26:19 - 00:14:28:04

It's just a matter of like, okay, this. 

00:14:28:06 - 00:14:35:27

Is, this is why we're all here, or so we think. And then what else is here? What else is here for me? You know, whether it's a sign or, you know. 

00:14:35:29 - 00:14:39:23

Lipstick on a cup of coffee, just the little details. And I guess. 

00:14:39:25 - 00:14:48:21

That's what I'm looking for. Like, what are the little details that say something is happening here? Someone's here. And I feel like it's true of Italy because there's so much. 

00:14:48:24 - 00:14:51:13

Abundance in Italy, but it's actually true of every place. 

00:14:51:15 - 00:15:01:19

And that's something I learned during the pandemic because like all the rest of us, I was home and I thought, I'm going to lose my mind because I love to travel. I love to discover. 

00:15:01:21 - 00:15:03:28

Discover is a really core value. 

00:15:04:00 - 00:15:16:16

In my life. And that's also ties in really beautifully to my love of photography, because photography helps me do a lot of discovery. And what I ended up having to do was, after living in San Francisco for over 25. 

00:15:16:18 - 00:15:17:05

Years. 

00:15:17:07 - 00:15:18:09

I had to. 

00:15:19:00 - 00:15:20:04

Reconnect with. 

00:15:20:06 - 00:15:22:03

San Francisco and I did it through. 

00:15:22:05 - 00:15:23:01

Photography. 

00:15:23:03 - 00:15:24:14

To say, Oh, right, this is. 

00:15:24:16 - 00:15:27:26

Where I live. This is why I love it. This is why I don't love it. 

00:15:27:28 - 00:15:29:06

And to see. 

00:15:29:09 - 00:15:29:27

It with fresh. 

00:15:29:29 - 00:15:45:05

Eyes and, you know, think it had the pandemic not happened, I would have been like, you know, using my passport, going somewhere to take photos of that place. But instead, I was forced, literally grounded, to rediscover and reconnect with the place that I call home. 

00:15:45:25 - 00:16:13:02

One of the questions that I asked people when they join the big photo hunt is how often they get that burning desire to just get out there and shoot photos. Because if you're like me, which you are as we're talking, it's something that constantly creeps up on me and it's like an itch, you know, for lack of a better term, that have to scratch and it may be in the middle of the day. I'll have my left hand holding my right hand back from like grabbing the camera and running out the door. I was going to ask you how frequently you get that itch. Well, get. 

00:16:13:04 - 00:16:15:02

The itch almost pretty much. 

00:16:15:04 - 00:16:34:13

Every day. And, you know, like just the other day was we were watching I was with my friend and her family and then her son and I were playing hangman, which is like something we like to do together. He's ten. And I just like took a little photo of the game. So it's every day, you know, don't always share them. 

00:16:34:15 - 00:16:35:17

Because I'm trying to get. 

00:16:35:19 - 00:16:41:27

Across this real candid in real time photo. You know, I'm always joking with friends like it's in the private collection. 

00:16:41:29 - 00:16:46:17

Like, don't worry, you know, because some people are like, don't don't share that photo, need a haircut or whatever. 

00:16:46:19 - 00:16:50:05

I'm like, no, it's in the private collection. It's for us that's become. 

00:16:50:07 - 00:16:50:22

A little bit of. 

00:16:50:24 - 00:16:53:09

A shorthand to be like, not everything is. 

00:16:53:11 - 00:16:58:27

Shareable, which I think is good, you know, think it's probably a good practice to have where. 

00:16:58:29 - 00:16:59:20

Some things are for. 

00:16:59:22 - 00:17:03:12

Us, you know, until until the time when they maybe want to be seen. 

00:17:03:14 - 00:17:34:29

What are these things like when you're in the middle of the day and you just need to cut out to go take some photos because you've got this creative urge coming on. What are some things that you shoot? I asked that question because I think a lot of us feel that we have to go experience something new. We have to travel. We have to photograph something that we haven't seen before. But in reality, there are things to photograph all around us. I find I live in Boston and frankly, I don't necessarily get inspired a lot by the city because I live here. 

00:17:35:01 - 00:17:46:18

But people come here and they're like, Oh my gosh, I got to go photograph everything. That is amazing. And I forget that. And so what do you shoot when you have that urge in the middle of the day? 

00:17:46:20 - 00:17:47:27

My go to is always. 

00:17:47:29 - 00:18:00:01

Flowers, and I live near the crooked street, which is known for its hydrangeas and also have a little garden near me and that garden, especially during the pandemic. And also like, you know, when my mom was. 

00:18:00:05 - 00:18:03:00

Really ill and dying was like this holy, sacred. 

00:18:03:02 - 00:18:07:29

Ground where I would just go 15 minutes a day just to take a break, get some fresh air and. 

00:18:08:01 - 00:18:08:19

Watch how the. 

00:18:08:21 - 00:18:31:00

Flowers had changed from one day to the next. And what I noticed, especially during this period where I was like grappling with my mother's impending death, was I got really drawn to the flowers that were dying and it was totally unconscious for me or subconscious. I never know which one it is, you know, the ones that had the camellias that had plopped on the ground and they were starting to like melt with the earth, the. 

00:18:31:02 - 00:18:33:13

Color of the flowers as they're dying on the. 

00:18:33:15 - 00:18:39:14

Edges of the petals. And they also are this indicator of time. You know, the rose that was. 

00:18:39:16 - 00:18:40:28

Fresh a week ago. 

00:18:41:00 - 00:18:46:07

Is in another life cycle a week later. So I love it for that reason. 

00:18:46:09 - 00:18:49:23

And it will never exist again. Except in your photo. 

00:18:50:22 - 00:18:52:05

Right? Except, you. 

00:18:52:07 - 00:18:57:24

Know, I have memory associated with photos that I've taken that I'm like, I remember how that. 

00:18:57:26 - 00:19:02:01

Flower smelled. There's a lot of full sensory overload. 

00:19:02:06 - 00:19:03:25

For me with photography. 

00:19:04:23 - 00:19:06:11

So I like street photography. 

00:19:06:13 - 00:19:13:11

And you're really good at it, too. I've loved stories of Portugal, Miami, your family, all of it. 

00:19:13:15 - 00:19:18:15

Thanks. Appreciate it. I try it. You know, it's it's a work in progress. And yeah. 

00:19:18:23 - 00:19:25:09

That's the humor comes across, too, in your photography. Like you've got this like, yeah, there's something very special about your street photography. 

00:19:25:11 - 00:19:55:26

That's actually really nice to hear because I don't know how it's being received without feedback, especially when you have social media and you put it up there and there are people that may be following you or connected to you for another reason, you put up some kind of street photography that may not be interesting to them and they don't respond because all they care about is seeing pictures of my dog and seeing how my kids are doing and then put a picture up of something on the street that to me, I find really fascinating and people just ignore it. So it's nice to hear that. Thank you. 

00:19:55:28 - 00:19:58:09

I still think I need a lot of work, frankly. Well, it's. 

00:19:58:11 - 00:20:08:12

Funny. I'm particularly remembering one of your diner shots and the angle that you got it. There's a there's a couple from a diner series that you did. And one of the things I love is that one could tell that. 

00:20:08:14 - 00:20:09:06

You took the time. 

00:20:09:08 - 00:20:14:00

To get it. It's not it's not accidental necessarily all the time. Sometimes it is, but not always. 

00:20:14:05 - 00:20:15:13

But think that's also why I'm. 

00:20:15:15 - 00:20:25:29

So grateful to you, Ken, that you're doing this, because I do think I think about this, too. Like, what other platforms are there besides Instagram or that's becoming like real central for those of. 

00:20:26:01 - 00:20:29:26

Us who are really interested in sharing work and learning and getting feedback on it. 

00:20:30:05 - 00:21:03:07

I appreciate that. That's really nice to hear too. You know, the whole idea with the big photo, I don't want to diverge, but the whole idea is to offer a place where new or aspiring and amateur photographers can just come in and just let it all hang out because don't think that there are communities that necessarily appeal to aspiring photographers in the way that they need to be appealed to. We they are we I'm no professional. I'm learning just like everybody else. And so I appreciate that. The diner series you reference, it's funny you reference that because I think what you're referring to is the Waffle House in Norfolk, Virginia. 

00:21:03:24 - 00:21:05:01

Thought it was Miami. 

00:21:05:03 - 00:21:45:05

It might have been. You know, there is so there's port to Saga on Miami Beach. Is that it? Okay. So Puerto Sagua is a Cuban restaurant on Miami Beach that I have been going to since I was a little boy. And, you know, a dream came true for me because about 3 or 4 years ago, thanks to all my work with Startup Cuba, they invited me to come in to make a video with their Cuban sandwich maker, and I competed with him. And so the video was me learning how to make a Cuban sandwich and then competing with him and giving the sandwiches to my dad, who was the judge, because my dad is the one that's taken me to Puerto  Sagua since I was a little boy and I won. 

00:21:45:20 - 00:21:47:24

Whoa. Congratulations. 

00:21:47:26 - 00:22:18:28

One of the greatest moments of my life. And. And it was blind. Like my dad didn't know whose was whose. And so I kind of know why I want to think. It's because I know my dad likes pickles. I put a little extra pickles in there and he's like, He's eating it. And I'm like, He's gonna love the pickles. But inside. Yeah, yeah, exactly. I'm like, Danny. Danny, who I was competing against at Puerto Sagua didn't know that about my dad, and so it was awesome. Here. I've got a clip of that moment. This is the moment that I knew that this little competition was mine. 

00:22:19:27 - 00:22:24:24

So many people, it's usually about 4 or 5. Seriously, you put four pickles. 4 or 5 pickles. Depends on the 4 or 5. 

00:22:24:26 - 00:22:55:11

Six? I got seven right now. Anyway, Puerto Sagua is always great for photography because it is a no frills, classic Miami Beach Cuban restaurant. And say, Miami Beach Cuban restaurant because it's not out in like Hialeah or Calle Ocho. It's just you go in there with flip flops and sand and you sit down and you get Cuban food and it's delicious. And it's been there since. For a long time. Yeah, like 1953 or something. So, yeah, if you find yourself in Miami Beach and you want to just take photos, go in there and say hi to David. 

00:22:55:13 - 00:23:04:17

He's the owner, he's awesome. So I know them now because I'm officially technically could get a job there. So if this podcast doesn't go well, I'll call them up. 

00:23:05:07 - 00:23:07:12

And I will belly up to the bar for that sandwich. Yeah. 

00:23:07:28 - 00:23:40:18

And then the Waffle House, you know, I just love the Waffle House. And so I had a missed flight in Norfolk, Virginia. I was there in a project. Was that a like Residence Inn or some kind of hotel across the street from a Waffle House? Woke up the next day and like dreams do come true. Okay, enough about the Waffle House. Probably not enough about Puerto Sagua because I could talk about it forever. But do you get the desire to incorporate your photography in your work life? You know, you're a marketer, your communications professional, and so do you ever have a desire to somehow incorporate your photography into your work? 

00:23:40:28 - 00:24:12:16

Yes, I do. And, you know, sometimes I get lucky enough to do it. You know, there was a I was working for a big bank here, the Bay Area. Don't know if I'm allowed to say names, but I noticed that we were getting ready for some presentations and everyone's headshots looked really dated and thought we we're working one of the most gorgeous buildings in downtown San Francisco's financial district. I want to do new portraits, new corporate headshots for everyone. So we did. And that it was just so refreshing because, you know, was responsible for the content and the event. 

00:24:12:18 - 00:24:22:12

And and then I was like, wait, I have another hat that I can wear here that I'd like to wear here. And it just helped to tie that in. I also think it helps. 

00:24:22:14 - 00:24:24:11

Having this affinity and this love of. 

00:24:24:13 - 00:24:25:13

Photography. 

00:24:25:24 - 00:24:27:26

Really helps me in my work from. 

00:24:27:28 - 00:24:28:18

A decision making. 

00:24:28:20 - 00:24:30:04

Standpoint, you know, in terms of what might. 

00:24:30:06 - 00:24:35:16

Work. Once I get to know a particular client's brand, I can just look at something that's being. 

00:24:35:18 - 00:24:36:25

Shown to us by a team of. 

00:24:36:27 - 00:24:38:09

Creatives and say, Actually, that's. 

00:24:38:11 - 00:24:39:16

Not really on brand. 

00:24:39:18 - 00:24:46:19

Or more this less that or more that less this. And it just really helps me because I've honed. 

00:24:46:21 - 00:24:48:02

On my own time. 

00:24:48:04 - 00:24:48:19

And on my. 

00:24:48:21 - 00:24:49:07

Own dime. 

00:24:49:09 - 00:24:54:04

That skill of understanding like what might work and. 

00:24:54:06 - 00:24:58:19

You know, to be able to marry that with a brand is really something that I love to do. 

00:24:59:00 - 00:25:05:26

Do you have any tips for someone that is interested in maybe trying to get more photography from the hobby side into the professional side? 

00:25:05:28 - 00:25:07:23

One of the things that I because I. 

00:25:07:25 - 00:25:12:26

Love photography and want to make it more part of my day, pretty much every project that I. 

00:25:12:28 - 00:25:14:16

Have, I've asked like. 

00:25:14:25 - 00:25:17:26

You know, especially if there's an event, do you need a photographer? 

00:25:17:28 - 00:25:20:01

And I will volunteer myself. 

00:25:20:03 - 00:25:24:28

You know, sometimes I get paid, sometimes I don't. For me, it's less about the money and more about being there. 

00:25:25:00 - 00:25:30:15

So if you see an opportunity, volunteer for it or create an opportunity. 

00:25:30:17 - 00:25:36:26

You might want to say to someone, Hey, think that a group photo at this event would be great or some new. 

00:25:36:28 - 00:25:39:14

Photos for the website, the corporate website would be great. 

00:25:39:16 - 00:25:52:09

So think it's just a matter of looking to see like the environment that you're in and where there might be a need and to ask to do it. I know in the past when I've been afraid to ask, it's like, Oh, I'm afraid to make a mistake. Or what. 

00:25:52:11 - 00:25:52:27

If it's not good. 

00:25:52:29 - 00:26:02:13

Enough? I mean, and that's a whole other conversation, that inner dialogue of like, I'm not good enough. But think asking is sort of like where you meet the beast of that voice and you just. 

00:26:02:15 - 00:26:03:18

Say, I want to do. 

00:26:03:20 - 00:26:04:23

This. And then to take on. 

00:26:04:25 - 00:26:06:06

What I've had to learn to do is. 

00:26:06:08 - 00:26:12:00

Take on the the cloak of learner and student and enthusiast. 

00:26:12:02 - 00:26:13:12

Which just opens up more. 

00:26:13:14 - 00:26:22:18

Doors for me than if I'm like this rigid. You know, I'm supposed to be so professional, like I can't get anything wrong. That is never as much fun. 

00:26:22:20 - 00:26:23:28

For me personally. 

00:26:24:15 - 00:26:55:12

I don't really look for photography work professionally. That's not my thing. But I have been hired sometimes for photography and what I have found has led to that is just through my social networks and through the platforms that I have that have exposure to other people. I have just shared photos and shared work and people, they see that. And although I'm not professional or at least I don't think I'm professional, my photography, it is better than 90% of the stuff out there because most people don't focus on anything. 

00:26:55:14 - 00:27:13:07

They don't focus on composition, they don't focus on lighting, they don't focus on their subject. And so just by doing those things, my photos stand out. It doesn't mean that they're good. It doesn't mean that they're professional level. And frankly, I feel a little embarrassed a lot of times. But that has driven people to me. They're like, Oh, get a call, Ken. He's a photographer. And I'm like, am Oh, okay, sure. 

00:27:13:27 - 00:27:41:08

I love it when someone refers to me that way. I'm like, Really? Thank you. You know? And I just had this example. This experience just recently was at my niece's baby shower. And normally I just take the photos at family functions and her sister was like, No, titi, I got it. I got it. And I was like, What do I do with myself then if I'm not taking the photos? But I have to say it was good practice for me to just be there in a different way because it is very easy to kind of separate from whatever's happening. 

00:27:41:10 - 00:27:42:25

Because you're behind a camera and you're. 

00:27:42:27 - 00:27:43:12

Trying. 

00:27:43:14 - 00:27:45:13

To take some memorable. 

00:27:45:15 - 00:27:47:28

Photos. And I have noticed, I've. 

00:27:48:00 - 00:27:48:20

Asked that question of. 

00:27:48:22 - 00:27:49:23

Myself, which is like. 

00:27:50:00 - 00:27:53:23

Am I doing this because I love it or am I avoiding something? 

00:27:53:25 - 00:27:59:28

The camera is shield is a question I investigate from time to time. What am I doing there? 

00:28:00:00 - 00:28:06:07

I've enjoyed that protection before. I've taken my camera out. I'm just like, I just don't feel like talking to anybody right now. Yes. Yes. 

00:28:06:09 - 00:28:13:24

Yeah. Let me get lost in this crowd of people with my camera. And then I'm not really having to engage on a level that don't want to engage in right now. 

00:28:13:26 - 00:28:22:24

Yeah, it's hard for me. I am six foot tall, bald, and I wear a lot of black t shirts because I'm colorblind, so I look like a Q-Tip. Basically. 

00:28:22:26 - 00:28:23:12

You stand. 

00:28:23:14 - 00:28:56:25

Out. I stand out. I cannot do anything but stand out. And so it's hard for me, but I'll do that. I'll just put on the I'm here in a professional capacity face and then just chill out and hide. So get it. You know, one of the thing that has worked for me is the idea of not necessarily bringing photography into my work, my professional life, but bringing my interest in photography into it. For example, there are three things that I know I'm good at, and just for the record, there are 900 things that I know I'm bad at. 

00:28:57:20 - 00:29:00:07

Wait, three things in photography or in general. 

00:29:00:09 - 00:29:30:06

In life, there's three things like like professionally there are three things that I know I'm good at everything else. There's a lot taking me time to be mature and understand that I'm bad at this other 900 stuff. Let it go for me. Those tend to be building community, starting businesses, getting business from the ground to point A and B and telling stories. And so in a lot of ways, that's why Big Photo Hunt is able to come together, because I have basically taken my interest in photography and I'm incorporating into my life that way. Do you have experience with that? 

00:29:30:09 - 00:29:36:00

I stamp your three your top three have seen that in action. So yes, thank you. 

00:29:36:03 - 00:29:53:19

Awareness this if we start talking about the things I'm not good at, this will be a very long podcast so let's just focus on what I'm good at. It's great hosting a podcast because I get to talk about the three things I'm good at. Ignore the things I'm bad at, Tell everyone who can't see a picture me right now that I'm really handsome and talk to cool people like you. 

00:29:54:03 - 00:30:00:13

Thank you. Yeah, we ain't got no time for that. What I'm not good at not not in this podcast. So. I'm sorry. What was the question? I lost. 

00:30:00:15 - 00:30:01:09

It. I'm just wondering. 

00:30:01:11 - 00:30:04:29

If you do that, if you incorporate your interest of photography into your work. 

00:30:05:01 - 00:30:05:16

Yeah. 

00:30:05:24 - 00:30:11:00

So as I said earlier, I love discovery. When I first moved here, I knew two people and I was. 

00:30:11:02 - 00:30:18:02

Like, Oh shoot, I need like community. I need to know a few more people. And I used to do this thing where every. 

00:30:18:06 - 00:30:22:16

Every weekend I would pack a backpack with bottle of water. 

00:30:22:20 - 00:30:26:11

A camera, a journal, maybe some sunscreen, and I would. 

00:30:26:13 - 00:30:28:01

Head into a different neighborhood. 

00:30:28:03 - 00:30:32:00

And so I'd discover Potrero Hill or the Mission or Hayes Valley. 

00:30:32:13 - 00:30:33:19

The way I discovered. 

00:30:33:21 - 00:30:39:28

That neighborhood and my new city was by taking photos and places like, Oh. 

00:30:40:00 - 00:30:44:17

Okay, I want to go to that pizza place or parks stores. Like I just took photos of. 

00:30:44:19 - 00:30:46:15

Things and tried to create a. 

00:30:46:17 - 00:30:47:08

Visual. 

00:30:47:10 - 00:30:52:10

Map for myself of the city. So discovery is, you know, one thing I do with. 

00:30:52:12 - 00:30:53:05

Photography, they're. 

00:30:53:07 - 00:30:55:19

Like cousins. They lend themselves to each other. 

00:30:56:15 - 00:31:13:00

On that note, do you have any tips or favorite resources that you might like to share with our audience to help them balance and incorporate photography as a hobby in their life with their professional life and frankly, their family life and everything else? That takes up time. 

00:31:13:10 - 00:31:14:11

So I'll say it even. 

00:31:14:13 - 00:31:14:28

Though. 

00:31:15:00 - 00:31:21:01

I have some challenges with how it's changing Instagram when it first when I first got on Instagram, like probably. 

00:31:21:10 - 00:31:23:05

Don't know, 12 years ago now. 

00:31:23:09 - 00:31:26:09

But I say like, do a little discovery on Instagram. 

00:31:26:11 - 00:31:28:14

Try finding photographers that you like. 

00:31:28:16 - 00:31:43:27

I think it's really important to ask yourself, why am I drawn to this? This is like nothing that I usually like to shoot. I think that's insightful as well, is to be like, Oh, right, there's other ways. Mean we are in this medium that has so many avenues to it. Everybody can. 

00:31:43:29 - 00:31:46:08

Express themselves in this medium and find. 

00:31:46:10 - 00:31:50:22

Their artistic creative juices flowing in it. So buy. 

00:31:50:24 - 00:31:51:22

Some art books, go to a. 

00:31:51:24 - 00:31:53:19

Museum, take a look like I love. 

00:31:53:21 - 00:32:00:22

To study old like I'm a huge fan of Diane Arbus. Annie Leibovitz. I'm a huge fan of Lindsay Addario, the New York. 

00:32:00:24 - 00:32:01:12

Times. 

00:32:01:17 - 00:32:03:00

Photographer documentary. 

00:32:03:02 - 00:32:32:04

And I can attest to the Instagram and finding photographers that you admire or inspire you. I would go a step further and suggest getting in touch with those photographers. I was in Lisbon and completely coincidentally, about ten, 12 days before I was heading over to Lisbon, there was a guy named Joao and, by the way, pienso que mi espanol es perfecto. Pienso que espanol es mi lengua nativa. I think my Spanish is beautiful. 

00:32:32:18 - 00:32:35:19

We claim he was one of ours. Just based on your speech alone. 

00:32:35:22 - 00:32:51:00

Gracias, amiga. No, I mean my Spanish. I think I speak Spanish. Fine. I can't speak Portuguese for Jack, and I can't understand Portuguese. And I went over to Lisbon, and I'm like, no problem. I I speak Spanish. I'll be able to speak Portuguese. 

00:32:51:02 - 00:32:53:05

It's such a. Yeah. Oh. 

00:32:53:12 - 00:33:27:01

Anyway, I met a guy. His name is João Gomes. He was one of the big photo hunt early community members. He emailed into me asking how he can get more involved and sent a photo in so I could share it in my newsletter. I wrote back and said, Hey, great photo, where is this? And he wrote back saying, This is here, but I live in Lisbon and I'm like, Dude, I'm gonna be in Lisbon next Wednesday. You want to get together? And we did. And it was one of the greatest experiences I had as far as photography and travel goes, because João was awesome. 

00:33:27:03 - 00:34:00:05

First of all, like super nice guy. If anyone's going to Lisbon and you want to meet him, I'm sure he doesn't mind. Or maybe he does. But I'm here officially saying, Reach out to me, I'll connect you with travel. He's awesome. And he took me out for like seven hours of street photography. And then we had this food that was amazing. And it was such a great way to experience a new city, to learn from somebody else and to just enjoy yourself with someone that you have something in common with and frankly, make a new friend. We're like buddies now and I greatly appreciate our friendship and value it. 

00:34:00:07 - 00:34:39:21

Good for you because I think that's such a one. How fun to land in Lisbon and have somebody, you know, to hang out with and two, someone who lives there and knows the place and can sort of give you a little personal tour. And three someone whose photography you admire and you can like observe. And that is actually one of the things. It's like when you are doing something like this with a friend or an acquaintance is like to see like, okay, how did they take that shot? Like we're we're taking a picture of the same tree, but how are they approaching it? You know, you're kind of looking over each other's shoulder like, what are you doing over there? So it is kind of fun to have that that not just sense of competition, like playful competition and learning. 

00:34:39:25 - 00:34:58:14

From one another. It was awesome. And I told him this man was like, Man, I appreciate what you did for me so much. And I'm like, Dude, thank you for taking the time. He was such, such a nice guy. So. All right. I got three quick questions for you before we wrap up. Short answer. Here we go. The first one is what's your favorite genre to shoot and why. 

00:34:58:16 - 00:34:59:01

Now. 

00:34:59:03 - 00:35:04:19

It's faces. And the reason for that is there's so much that one face can tell. 

00:35:05:09 - 00:35:08:06

Okay? Number two is, what camera system do you use? 

00:35:08:08 - 00:35:08:23

I'm a. 

00:35:08:25 - 00:35:13:06

Canon girl, all right? And have to love my iPhone. Camera two. 

00:35:13:13 - 00:35:14:19

You love your iPhone. I'd be. 

00:35:14:21 - 00:35:19:15

Lying. I do. The camera on this thing is a beast. I'd. 

00:35:20:09 - 00:35:33:08

Number three is on a scale of 1 to 10, how often do you get that burning itch? I just love saying that I might say it again just because it's so fun. How often do you get that burning itch to get out there and go shoot photos? 

00:35:33:14 - 00:35:34:15

I'm an 11. 

00:35:34:17 - 00:35:39:08

I'm off the scale. Yeah, I'm an 11. I have an itch burning itch problem. 

00:35:40:27 - 00:35:42:27

How can people find you on social media? 

00:35:43:05 - 00:35:55:12

Instagram. My handle is Miss Mayra Padilla. That's Ms.. Miss Mayra Padilla. And Facebook is a witch. Don't use as much as just Mayra Padilla in San Francisco. 

00:35:55:14 - 00:35:58:16

Thank you. I really appreciate your time. Seriously. Thank you so much. Mayra, 

00:36:00:10 - 00:36:15:02

Thank you so much for joining me for today's episode. Our next show will feature more valuable stories from our community members. If you'd like to audition to be a guest, please visit Big Photo Hunt for more information. Thanks again for listening today.