Meet Alyssa Pakes of Pakes Photography in Goodyear

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Pakes.

Alyssa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I became a photographer 6-7 years ago when I took my first trip to Hawaii with my family. My mother brought her small, point and shoot camera on the trip, and I had it in my hands the whole time. I was amazed by the beautiful sunsets and all the amazing views it had to offer. Soon after, I asked if my parents could help me purchase my first camera: a Nikon D3200. From there I began my journey.

I started taking a lot of landscape and floral photos and slowly started moving through each genre of photography, never really finding my niche. From landscapes, I moved to automotive which led to me meeting my lovely boyfriend! I would go back and forth between landscapes and automotive with the occasional family session thrown in there…still never really finding my place of belonging in the photography world.

After countless camera upgrades and moving through any genre of photography you could think of, I finally found something I truly loved doing. Portraits.

Has it been a smooth road?
I think the hardest thing about my journey was finding something I truly enjoyed. There are so many genres of photography that I tried to find myself in each and every one. Each time, I failed to find something that would last. I was the queen of dabbling in things. My dad always told me I was “a jack of all trades but a master of none”. It seemed I wasn’t ever going to find something I was really good at when it came to photography. I was in a pretty good rut until about a year ago when I started working with models.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Pakes Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a portrait photographer. I would say I lean towards the more creative/fashion side of portraits. I feel as if I am best known for trying anything. I like things that make me feel uncomfortable. I want to do things that challenge me as a photographer. One of the biggest things I do is do photo sessions in very unconventional places. My most recent session was at a Sonic and way before that was at Lowe’s… Who thinks taking portraits at a Sonic would be fun? Or even a home improvement store. ME. A photographer. That’s who! I am always trying to be as creative and different with my clients as I possibly can. That’s the thing I am most proud of: being able to be myself and create with beautiful people. It’s such an awesome feeling when you can create something out of essentially nothing. Most people look at a specific area and think it’s ugly. Show that same area to a photographer and they could create something amazing out of it.

What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
I am a freelance photographer. I feel pretty small compared to everyone else I see. However, I am determined to make a name of myself. I do a lot of work and long hours for little to no pay but I do it because it is what I love.

I am also a full time teacher in my third year (well, two and a half). I balance both very demanding jobs as well as I can. In the future, I would love to make photography a full time job. Fashion and editorials have always been a dream of mine. There are so many things I could do with photography but for now, teaching is my safest bet. I mean, we do get really awesome breaks which makes for great photo opportunities, so I guess I can’t complain too much!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pakesphotography.com
• Phone: 9282308254
• Email: alyssapakes@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pakesphotography_/

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