it all started when...

I was 13 and I though it would be easy to become a YouTube celebrity. I got as far as getting my first "professional" camera, and making a few vlogs before I realized I had a different calling!

Long story short, that calling was wedding photography and I haven't looked back since. I think my favorite part about wedding days is the love stories. I know that relationships are fun and exciting, but that they also take hard work of consciously choosing your partner daily and through the thick & thin. The fact that you both agreed that "yup, this is my life partner" is one of the most beautiful commitments & acts of human connection that we can make. No wonder we go all out celebrating that new chapter!

Before coming to Virginia, I lived in a couple of different places

I was born in Ecuador and immigrated with my family to Miami, Florida when I was very young. Although I didn't spend much time in Ecuador, I still consider it a big part of my personality. I'm grateful to be fluent in Spanish, and once upon a time I performed with various salsa dance teams in celebration of my heritage.

I insisted on going to college in a different state, so I ended up in Baltimore to attend Johns Hopkins University, which is where my photography career began! My major was wildly unrelated to photography, but I suddenly had friends who were graduating from college and wanted somebody, anybody, to take their photos. Graduation portraits turned to family portraits, then engagement photos, and suddenly I had a side hustle on my hands. This is also when I adopted the love of my life, Lexi (a spunky morkie who is 7 years young these days).

Life then took us to a college town in Oregon, where the mountains and gorgeous nature trails became my muse for some time. A friend of mine inspired me to pick my business up again, this time with a fresh set of eyes and a crazy passion for the business side of things.

We moved to Northern Virginia in 2021, and I could not think of a more perfect setting to curate the look and feel of my photography style today. Since then, I spent a few months living in Costa Rica, returned home, and the family has grown to include another furry friend, little Joey (a cavapoo and rascal-in-training)! We can't wait to see where life takes us and this business next. 💛

Top: The famous Lexi dog
Left: Newest addition to the family
Right: Happy to be in front of the camera too!

Here are some out-of-context fun facts for you to enjoy

Dani in a nutshell

Guilty pleasure

Moulin Rouge 🎤

alternate universe job

100% a popstar's back-up dancer 🕺

favorite place i've been:

Ecuador! 🇪🇨

drink of choice

A hot chocolate before bed ☕️

can't live without

Lexi & Joey 🐶

usually craving

Peruvian food 🍗

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@dANIELAzapataphoto