Meet Fiorella, my photography assistant (or intern, depending on how you see it), from Los Pargos, Costa Rica. I took this photo of her at a recent event where she was assisting, and I could not be more excited to introduce her properly. But first let me tell you, why I decided to start working with someone, what the role is to me and why it felt like the right move at this time.

Over the past six months, I have been wanting to share more about my work and especially behind-the-scene but as soon as I start a photoshoot, I am totally swept into the moment and forget to create those fun and interesting BTS moments. I have also been wanting to have someone assist with equipment and be able to test new tools that would require an extra set of hands. Until now, I have done everything on my own, and while that has worked very well for me, it felt like the right time to bring someone on. I started looking for someone who could assist me with equipment, BTS and logistics. At first, I thought about hiring an assistant purely for shoots but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wanted to offer something more.

I have been receiving inquiries for shoots that I sometimes cannot take on, and I have often wished I had someone local I could recommend - someone whose work aligns with my style and who I truly trust. I then decided instead of just hiring an assistant, I will offer to someone from the community the opportunity to be actively mentored and coached in photography and become my intern assistant.

I knew I wanted someone local, someone motivated, passionate about photography, and eager to learn. I also specifically wanted to support a female photographer, creating more opportunities for women in this space. Since I have equipment that I could lend, the person would not need a big initial investment - just a strong desire to grow and develop their skills. A close friend suggested Fiorella, the daughter of a local bikini designer, Joha Bikini. She has a creative background, dabbles in design, and seemed like she might be interested. I reached out, and we met for coffee so I could explain what I was looking for, what I needed, and what I could offer in return. From the start, she was excited and motivated, which felt like a great sign.

To see how we worked together, we did a creative shoot where I explained what I expect during a session. Since then, we have been meeting once a week to talk about photography, technique, and everything in between. She also joined me for a local event to get hands-on experience. My vision is for her to grow, assist me at shoots, and eventually start taking on her own clients whenever she feels ready.

Looking ahead, I am excited about this new adventure and feel that it will really help us both grow tremendously. More than anything, I hope this becomes a long-term, successful collaboration where we both grow and support each other for years to come.

Follow my journey, on my instagram stories and keep checking in on the blog for major milestone updates.

Until then thank you for being here. Much Love.