Meet Katherine De Barros | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katherine De Barros and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katherine, how do you think about risk?
I believe risk plays a huge role in everyone’s life in one way or another– especially when it comes to artists. Growing up, art was always there for me as a fun hobby, which then turned into some form of therapy, whether it was drawing, painting, photography, etc. I had always been taught that I shouldn’t go into an artistic career because “it’s too risky,” or “you’ll be poor”. So I guess that’s where risk comes in. When I finished high school, I was confused. I knew I wanted to do something having to do with art. One thing that definitely sparked my interest was concert photography. The only problem was that I was always extremely shy around new people and the fact that I’m an introvert didn’t help either. I felt extremely driven to pursue this career and I didnt want to have regrets due to my shyness holding me back. Although it was something new and exciting, I knew I had to meet new people, which got me nervous. Every weekend before going to a local show I had to muster up the courage to say hi to the band or anyone working the show that night. It was hard at times when I thought I’d been too awkward or was overthinking too much, but I also wanted to make real, authentic connections with the people I was meeting. That being said, capturing moments at these shows and events is worth being outside of my comfort zone.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Something about me that might set me apart from others is that I am a self taught artist and I have a constant determination and drive to improve and learn new things along the way. What I’m most proud of is when I get myself out of my comfort zone. During this pandemic, many people in the music industry have been at a halt with what we normally do and will be until further notice. That being said, I have been interested in learning graphic design and digital art. It gives me a whole new outlet to express myself and helps train my creative eye. I’d love to implement this into my photography and feel extremely excited for when one day concerts to return to see what new things I can do with my concert photography. My friends and family constantly inspire me to be a better person and artist. A lesson I learned along the way would be to never take anything personally– not only in life in general, but especially when it comes to an artistic critique.

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.
There are many things and places to visit when in South Florida. Something I’d definitely like to show them would be a local concert whether it’s at a bar or bigger venue. In the Fort Lauderdale area, places that deserve a shoutout are called The Alchemist, Koume Japan- the food is great, he personalizes plates with popular animated characters, and is a great person. Tats and Tacos that has some of the best tacos to eat, it’s vegan friendly and definitely worth checking out. If you’re a coffee lover like myself, there are places called Roasting Buddies, Ella Cafe, and Parlour Vegan Bakery that have a bunch of things to try. The beach is also a great place to visit down here. Skating with my longboard by the beach is one of my favorite things to do especially since it can get super hot out, you can cool off by going to the ocean. I mainly touched on Places in the fort Lauderdale/ Broward County area, since I live in this area, however there are several things to visit in Miami as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course! My friends and family always support me no matter what. Through my spontaneity or outrageous ideas they’re always there as moral support saying that everything will work out. Also, artists I’ve met to this day that inspire me with their work– whether I found them through social media or in person that motivate me to strive to do better or be more creative.

Website: katdebarros.com
Instagram: instagram.com/kat.deba
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/katherinedebarros/
Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KatDeBarros

Image Credits
Personal photo taken by Alex Anderson.