Meet Luz Silva | Birth and Family Photographer at Mint & Cocoa

We had the good fortune of connecting with Luz Silva and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Luz, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I found that photographers in Miami were shooting in a style that I think didn’t offer enough to families to capture real moments. I don’t like to force kids to pose or smile for photos. Shooting in a more documentary style allows for everyone to express their own personalities. Also, I was eager to hire someone who could capture my family’s life in a more candid way and a few years ago that was very rare. That’s when I realized I wanted to be THAT photographer. The one who captures the beauty in between the chaos of motherhood. Then the opportunity to document births came up. And although super intimidating, it was definitely my calling.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Never in a million years I would have imagined that I would be in a creative career. Once I had kids I realized how much I needed a creative outlet. My passion to document the simple everyday moments of their lives inspired me to become a family photographer. Then, the birth of my daughter was such a powerful experience, I knew I wanted to document birth stories. My goal has always been to show birth and real life not from a raw point of view, but from the emotional and human side.

It has not been easy though. It’s hard to convince families that their real life moments are worth photographing, but we all are already doing it through our phones anyway! Same with birth. Some people don’t understand why is it worth photographing…. but yet… they are snapping photos non stop with their phones… Because we want to cling to those moments, we want to share them with friends and family. We want to have something to be able to go back to… When you hire a professional, you get to actually LIVE the moment while having the photos to go back to.

I am inspired by family traditions and the small rituals in your everyday life that could appear insignificant but truly are the most remembered. Like making waffles on Sunday morning, playing board games, taking bike rides, building Legos…. These moments are the ones I believe our kids will remember the most, and documenting them means the world to me.

I believe the human element, communication and connection with my clients is super important with my work. I love to connect with people while documenting their lives. Not everything in life can be perfectly planned, but my goal is to tell the story of their families in the most artistic way. At the end, I find I really do become friends with my clients. And nothing makes me happier than seeing their families grow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Woah! There’s so much to see in South Florida. A week is barely enough time! With or without kids, the city has so much to offer. From art, to nature, to food and even shopping. I’ve been living here for 15 years and I still enjoy doing all of this!

First I would take them to the most iconic and classic places in Miami.

Day one would be Little Havana for some Cuban coffee and pastelitos, and a walk around to see the neighboring buildings and iconic rooster’s that cover the area. For lunch we would go to my favorite Mexican place on Calle Ocho, Mi Rinconcito Mexicano, and then walk over to the domino park which is just down the street. Afterwards, I would simply cross the street to Ball and Chain and enjoy a refreshing mojito and live music.

Many would go on day two to south beach, but I would prefer Wynwood and the Design District. So much to do in this thriving community for adults and kids, walking Wynwood to see the art coving the buildings not to mention the photo opportunities are endless. Bars are a plenty and lots of good places to dine breakfast, lunch or dinner. However I might sneak into the design district, just to have lunch at Michaels Genuine which is a favorite of mine.

Day three would be South Beach taking the Art Deco tour and walking Lincoln Road. Even with kids I would suggest we end the day in Sunset Harbour at Barceloneta. Great little outdoor restaurant with amazing tapas.

Day four I would suggest the beach for a more relaxing day. Hollywood has a very long boardwalk and it’s a great place to rent bikes and people watch when you are done laying out. I would finish at Le Tub for a monster burger, and then a short drive north to Jaxon’s Ice Cream for a ridiculous milkshake.

Day five is back to culture. I would highly recommend the Frost Museum of Science, we are members and the kids love it. Then walk next door to he Perez Art Museum and eat at Verde to watch the sunset. You can spend so much time between these two spaces.

Day six we would go back to nature and spend the day at Oleta River State Park just south of Aventura. At the park you can rent kayaks or paddle boards and circle through the mangroves. I then drive on Biscaye to Aventura for dinner at Gulfstream Park, probably at the Yard House or Christine Lee’s for their amazing egg rolls.

Wrapping up the week on day seven if we are lucky, we would find a concert in Miami or Fort Lauderdale to close the trip and during the day if everybody still has some energy, a shopping excursion at Sawgrass Mills. I know all my friends and family always want to go there!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow, DEFINETLY! All the families but specially, the mothers that I’ve met along the way since becoming a mom myself. First of all, the ones that became my tribe when I was trying to find my new path in life. And then every single one who has trusted me to document the most precious moments of their lives, from the birth of their babies, to their first milestones and birthdays, to holidays and every day moments. I wouldn’t be here without their continuous support and encouragement. A big Shoutout too to Magnolia Birth House because they’ve been a huge part of my growth. And obviously, my husband and kids for putting up with my on call life and unpredictable schedule.

Website: http://mintandcocoa.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mintandcocoaphoto/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/luzelenasilva

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mintandcocoa/

Other: https://vimeo.com/mintandcocoa

Image Credits
Luz Elena Silva, Photographer at Mint and Cocoa