Meet Lucero Valle Archuleta: Photographer and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lucero Valle Archuleta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucero, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
Not sure if I need to answer in Spanish or English but will do it in english. I’m from a small industrial town in northern Mexico called Monclova Coahuila. During my childhood I watched my dad and mom grow a successful business from cero, he had no education and all the odds against him. Before he was a photographer he was a bullfighter but during that time he had a bus accident where he broke his two legs, was in a wheelchair for two years, and finally recover and go back to become a matador (higher rank on bullfighting ). But of course, his legs weren’t responding, he had several injuries until he decided to leave it, start a photography business, and mary my mom. I had the best example of overcoming obstacles and just don’t be afraid of your present moment if you don’t like what you see you can dream about it, had the vision for it, and change it. I had the privilege to have an education and a degree on Industrial Design and Product Development while I was building my skills in photography. When I move to the states I wasn’t expecting to stay, I came here to practice my English and help a friend with her wedding. But I met my ex-husband, a prominent artist in town, got marry and stay in Austin until now. Because of my immigration status during the first years, I had to work all kinds of jobs, babysitting, cleaning houses, giving almost for free my photography work, and finally, I got an opportunity working as a metalsmith jeweler a job that I will cherish for life. During all that time I was also working as an artist, creating pieces to sell on markets and showing work in a few exhibits like East Austin Studio Tours and MEXICARTE. When I become a mom something change for me, the time with my son becomes the most important thing. Then I decide to follow my passion and talents for photography and just take it seriously, it’s been a blessing to be able to grow my photography business while I can be with him during his first and most important years. During this pandemic I feel even luckier that I can work from home, It’s not being easy to balance personal and work life having him all the time here, but it’s been worth it. During the last months, I build a full studio in the garage where I can be doing a photoshoot while my son is at home. He also gets to be my little assistant with is so cute to watch. One time he asked me why I work so much, and I told him that yes, I get tired sometimes but I also love what I do, being creative makes me happy, and it allowed me to have a beautiful life with him.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What set me apart from other photographers is my closer relationship to photography growing up in my parent’s photography business, the darkroom and printing process, the studio’s customer service, and business management. In the analog time of photography, I got to see the transformation from film to digital, I recognized the basic rules of light, color, and composition are the same before and now. It could seem easy to do photography nowadays but I believed it just become a little cheaper not easier, we still need to constantly get educated in the new technologies and advances in photography as well as learning for the past, from the masters of photography go came before us. What I more proud of in my current practice is Studio Lighting and digital edition, this is my happy place, to find the best light for my subjects. I enjoy so much playing around with light being inspired by the masters of lighting. My first photography class was at 18 years old back in 1998, yes I’m 40 now and I have 22 years of using photoshop specifically for portrait and beauty retouch. It wasn’t easy, for many years I didn’t feel I was a photographer, did you hear about the impostor syndrome? while doing so many odd jobs, I used to think I wasn’t good enough to call myself a professional. It took me many years of assisting workshops, constant calls to my dad, and many tutorials, videos, and self tough sessions to start feeling comfortable with that word. Today I know Im not the best of all but I’m the best version of me. I learn that I’m unique and my journey is unique too. I can offer a professional image not for what I know or did in the past but for what is the experience my clients get from my images, for the value I can give them with my talents. I overcome the challenges with a lot of personal work, I had to recover my own power and know myself from the inside out, recognize that my fears and insecurity was stopping me to grow, I just didn’t know how much I was my own problem to be a successful photographer and creative. I can’t say I’ve made it to the other side LOL but I do know now that every time I work on myself and believed in myself, my business grows. and I can give more. I wish my story can inspire other women to overcome years of self-doubt and feeling small, I been there and it’s hard to give the steps but asking for help and being vulnerable is what got me out of the vicious cycle. No one is come to save me (we all have a little dream that never happens) but is so important to have help in the process of saving ourselves, a good group of friends for laughs, an inspirational successful community of women, and the people who believed in us when we don’t and ask us to do things we make us feel scared (terrorized is the right word). What I noticed was that I finally do (those scary things) and I was ready for the next scary thing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Austin is a very interesting city in many ways but here is my take. 7:00 am: Go for a walk-run to the town lake track, is so nice to see nature in the middle of downtown. 8:00 Grab a coffee in whole foods, it could be cliche for many but I found it more fascinating is the perfect example of abundance, innovation, and creativity, there are so many new products-companies created by local companies, just all look from the future. It’s just colorful, full of life, and had a variety of delicious food for any taste. 10:00 Drive through Cesar Chavez and 12 street, and Lamar, I can tell you the history of segregation, how it just to be and still is in this town, how we still need to fight for the right to been seen, to have equal opportunities along with the visiting of a few galleries is artist studios that concentrate in this area. And also how this city has grown so fast in the last 5 years. 12:00 Got to the Green belt, there is so many spots but I particularly like one near Soth Lamar full of rocks and just to fun the sit and chill. while having a picnic with strawberries, blueberries, and Titos vodka. (berries are really rare to find in my home town and here are available the whole year) 6:00 Nixta Taqueria for Luch, best tacos in town hands down. Tortillas are made from Oaxacan corn and they are just genius. 8:00 Go for a gallery opening at Mexicarte, La Peña or MACC 10:00: Dance at the Sahara Lounge.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To my parents for teaching me resilience, family values, and the heart of an entrepreneur. To EGBI (Economic Growth Business Incubator) for being so accessible to us in our own language, to teach us how to overcome obstacles as immigrants and the foundations of a successful business. To Edson and Anne from Limbo Jewelry for giving me an opportunity when no one did and just be the most amazing inspiration. To the Frida Friday ATX ladies for believing in me beyond what I did for myself. To Federico for encouraging me to be an artist and show me that is possible to live from your passion. To my Austin friends who are now my family for all the laughs, support, and patience. To the organization Latinitas for letting me organize and curate the art events at their space in the past years.

Website: www.lucero-photography.com
Instagram: @lucero_photo
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucero-valle-archuleta-57bb8716/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucerophoto
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lucero-photography-austin

Image Credits
All are my photography