Meet Kiara Terrero | Kiara Terrero

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

Hi Kiara, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my business was initially about building and creating connections with the people around me and the people I admire. Then it became something so much more than that. Put yourself out there, whether going to an event or social gathering. It’s always an excellent place to network with others because you never know who you might meet, as in many of these gatherings, and there are possible opportunities you can get. It’s one of the many pieces of advice I have ever gotten starting in the industry. The more connections you make with others and are consistent with these connections, the more opportunities can come your way because you leave your mark on the people you meet without even expecting it. It’s also the sense that you are creating your community without realizing it. Another big piece of advice is always to be yourself and let your work speak for itself. There have been times in my life when people thought I wasn’t good enough because they didn’t know I had enough experience or because I was a female photographer, and honestly, that never stopped me. Like I said before, I let my work speak for itself, then having the clients blown away or they ended up coming back regretting not having shot with me that their disbelief of me didn’t push me down; it just got me to keep going and seek more immense opportunities. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

When people see my work, I want a sense of connection, storytelling, and authenticity that you can see. I am a 2nd generation Dominican and Cuban female photographer from New York City and Miami, FL. Photography has been a part of my life for the past eight years, having four years professionally. 

Growing up in the city, I always appreciated being from here and being exposed to so much art and culture. The moment you step out of your apartment. There is never a moment that you don’t become inspired or meet new people who can have a creative passion for creating a brand, becoming an artist, trying to give back to the community, or having a story to tell of who they are. My biggest driving skill in photography is being able to tell a story through my photographs. I always enjoy working with other artists and learning and supporting one another as we all try to make our mark in this world and create art.

  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.

If a friend of mine came to visit me in New York, there would be so many places that I would want to take them. Whether it’s Lower East Side, where you can simultaneously feel like you are in Italy or China, and a little back in the 90s of New York. Going to one of my favorite bridges, the Williamsburg Bridge. With all its tags and artwork on the floor and its beautiful view, crossing to Brooklyn and Manhattan. Then going more uptown Manhattan to check out Central Park. It’s lovely to see the season change and to feel the sense of nature without going upstate, and it’s always admiring to witness a lot of local New Yorkers that go to this park for their daily activities. One last place that I would take a friend visiting New York City as though there are still so many more places to go; I would want to show them at least one rooftop, whether it’s accessible or not. That’s one of my favorite things because you really see the beauty of how big this city is and how this city is made of so many different cultures and people. It’s definitely my forever home. 

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?

One person that I would like to shout out to is my high school photography teacher Mrs.Abate. She was a teacher who saw my potential and taught me much about photography fundamentals. She always pushed me to submit my work to competitions that would get accepted and shown in different shows. There was a lot of tough love, but I knew she cared and wanted me to succeed with my talent and passion for taking photographs. I am very thankful for her guidance and for helping me while applying to art colleges; she took the time to make sure that I had a fantastic portfolio to show these colleges. And It all turned out well because I got into an excellent art college.

Another person I would shout to is my college professor Lyle Rexer. He was a fantastic mentor and teacher who would always push me to get deeper within my work and be able to tell stories. He was definitely someone that believed in my talents and helped me change my perspective of photography from how I first came to going into college to graduating.

The last person I would like to shout out is my uncle Jessy, one of my most significant role models who introduced me to the arts and inspired me to want to get into the art film/photo industry. Being able to go on his video sets and watch all the behind-the-scenes inspired me that I wanted to be in this world, it may not have been filmmaking, but it definitely was photography.

Instagram: key.lenz_

Image Credits

•  Personal photo 1: photo credit: Jordan Lang(Instagram @jplxng) 
• BTS #1 photo credit by: Esmeralda (@encyphernyc)( brand/event shoot Zumiez x VLB)
• BTS #2: brand shoot VLB
• Photo # 1 Concert Photo of Jessie Reyez
• Photo #02 Boxing shoot with Chris 
• Photo # 03: Photo of artist Vel and model Bronx Bonita for the Zumiez x VLB event
• Photo #04 Photo of Audrey modeling for VLB Halloween sweater 
• Photo #05 Photo from the Dominican Day Parade in NYC 
• Photo #06: Photo of Leli Hernandez performing at the halftime show at Miami Heat Stadium.
• Photo #07: Bronx Native Shoot: Reese & Rahiene 
• Photo #08: Concert photo of Logic