Meet Aleks Victoria | Photographer

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

Hi Aleks, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
For me, work life balance has definitely changed as my business has grown. At the start of my career, I used to take any and every work opportunity that came my way to grow my business. But as time went on, the burn out got very real, very fast. I still try to take as much business as possible because I love what I do and love working with so many people and capturing important moments in their lives. But I’ve definitely had to learn to take some days for myself and use those days to rest, be with friends/family, and mentally and physically recharge. Most of those days off still aren’t fully off because I spend at least a few hours every day editing, if not the majority of the day. Being a business owner can be tricky because you don’t have set hours every day and your schedule fluctuates day to day, so it’s easy to work constantly and exhaust yourself. But having a good work life balance is essential when being a business owner in order to keep enjoying what you do and keep giving your clients the best results possible.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m really proud of my relationship with my clients. I think it’s so important to really build a relationship with clients and not only show up on the day of their wedding, event or shoot. I want clients to feel comfortable taking pictures, especially since most people don’t usually do photoshoots frequently, they can sometimes feel awkward at the beginning of a shoot. So I think it’s really important to make them feel good and relaxed, that way they can genuinely enjoy the time shooting.

Building client relationships makes such a difference in attaining success in my opinion. I’ve been lucky enough to continue working with some clients for years, capturing everything from a grad shoot, to a wedding, to starting a family and it’s so special to see. Most of my clients also come to me via recommendations or word of mouth and that, to me, is a game changer. It shows me that past clients have enjoyed working with me and want people in their lives to work with me as well and have the same experience. It’s honestly one of the most special parts of having my business.

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?
I love giving people recommendations of places to go in the city. I’m a big Coral Gables girl so you’ll find me there majority of the time. Definitely walk along Miracle Mile and Giralda and eat some delicious food, have morning coffee at one of the many coffee shops, or grab drinks at one of the awesome bars. In the Gables, Luca Osteria is the best restaurant in my opinion. Best coffee shop right now is Façade, and my favorite bar will forever be Copper 29.

I also love Carbone Vino in the Grove, Sunny’s cannot be missed, Cvi.che 105 is always delicious, B Bistro is the best breakfast spot, best burgers are Skinny Louie’s, and Bellini is a gorgeous rooftop overlooking the water with good food and drinks. I’d stay at the Biltmore Hotel just because I love how gorgeous it is there. If you can do a boat day, do a boat day. There’s nothing better than going out on the boat with the Miami skyline behind you. Or at least go to Key Biscayne and sit somewhere you can watch the sunset behind the skyline. Shopping wise I would go to Brickell City Centre. They have tons of stores and restaurants, it’s never super crowded and aesthetically is so nice. I’d also catch either a Heat game or a Dolphins game while you’re in town (Hard Rock Stadium is a hike to get to but it’s fun once you’re 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?
My mom gets the biggest shoutout when it comes to the success of my business. She’s my assistant at almost every wedding and even after working a full time job during the week, she still takes the time to help me on weekends and it takes such a weight off my shoulders having help. She’s supported my business from day one and helped make my business what it is today. I couldn’t be more grateful for her.

Website: https://www.aleksvictoriaphotography.com

Instagram: @aleksvictoriaphotography