Meet Marlaina Trevino

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marlaina Trevino.  

Hi Marlaina, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My photography journey started in 2010 when I went to get my senior portraits taken. I was definitely still a flower that had yet to bloom so I wasn’t sure what to expect from these portraits. Well, sure enough, the photographer was incredible. Not only did he make me feel comfortable the entire time but I ended up loving all of the photos! From there, I knew I wanted to do what he did; show everyone the beauty that they resinate. In 2011, I graduated and went straight to work. I had no summer break as my parents raised me to be a hard worker. I went right to school as well. While taking photography classes, I reached out to my Senior Portrait Photographer and asked him if I could shadow him a couple times per week. Sure enough, he said “Yes!” From there, I would go just a couple times per week to follow him around the studio making notes and learning what he was doing. He would jokingly tell clients, “Oh, she is taking over this studio one day.” I would just bashfully laugh. 

I started working full time with my father at his machine shop in order to make money to pay for college and have benefits such as my 401k at a young age; 19 years old to be exact. In 2012, I decided to go for a job at the place I got my Senior Portraits taken and I got the job! I stayed there 1 year learning all about posing techniques, lighting, how to talk to the kids and so much more. I was hired in with 4 others and was the last “woman” standing by the end of the year. Everyone talked about how much I had grown and it made me feel great. Sadly, the company couldn’t give me a raise after the first year plus they cut my hours and I had to pay for school. I left and went off to another portrait studio all while continuing working with my dad. 

The story goes on with me jumping around and trying new companies. I worked at other portrait studios, and wedding photography companies, and I even took a job as a princess for birthday parties at one point! In the end, the companies weren’t for me and I landed back at the shop with my dad. 

This took a major toll on my mental health. Not only was I not exactly pursuing my dream but I also was having a tough relationship working under my dad. We are too similar. I would often talk to my, now husband, about how damaging it was working there. I had done a lot for the company. I completely built up our Quality system from the ground up along with making the shop a fully functioning facility that was completely women ran. I felt like I finally achieved something important but this still wasn’t what my heart wanted. In 2021, I sat down with my dad and finally said, “Okay, I am actually leaving this time. I will be here until April of 2022 and then I am leaving. Forever this time. This will not be a fallback for me.” Of course, there was sadness because I had done a lot there to build the business. Our warehouse was making at least 20% more profit than the other facility by the time I left. In the end though, I was blessed with the opportunity to work with my dad all those years because he taught me how to be a leader and learn how to run a business. He was always so supportive of me pursuing my dream.

On April 29, 2022, the shop gave me a “retirement” party and I was on my way. What is still crazy to me now is that I have been in the photography industry since 2011 yet, now that I am a full-time business, I feel like I am started over. There is a lot to learn between marketing and learning social media techniques but I have been hustling every single day for my passion. Working at the shop helped me become a leader and has helped me learn incredible business techniques. I have also taken what I enjoyed and didn’t like at the studios I worked at and ran with it. Using these tools will truly help me be the best I can be. I am beyond excited for this journey. 

My husband and my next step is to have kids. We have already been trying but it has been a challenging process. We have had many conversations about how one parent should definitely be home with the children. To me, that just means, I will set up a studio at home and continue to work. It is in my blood to be a hard worker and my children will only build me up even more, not slow me down. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As mentioned, it has not been a smooth road. Sure, I always had a job to fall back on, but it wasn’t good on my mental and physical health. While working at the shop the past 11 years, I tried working at 5 other jobs to try and find my true passion. I always fell back on the shop. I also decided to buy a house at the age of 22 all by myself. That added its own obstacles as well. I always had to be working full time with benefits so I was hustling working 3 jobs at one point. On top of that, everyone knows the joys of homeownership, everything decides to break in the first year! I did most of the repairs by myself. It wasn’t until my husband came along and truly pushed me to pursue my photography business full time that things started coming together. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am known for a lot of things. Of course, all my friends and family know me as their go-to photographer. But I am also seen as a Disney princess. I was always a tomboy at heart growing up on a farm with 52 animals yet there was always a little princess inside me. In 2016, I decided to try out for a company that offered princesses to perform at parties. My self-esteem was still working its way out of the closet at that point but I was definitely a changed woman after getting out of a terrible relationship. 

I went into my audition, my first audition EVER, and killed it singing “How does she know” from Enchanted. As I flailed my arms around singing, I could tell the girls were ready to hire me and I was ecstatic! Most of these people I worked with had tons of stage performances prior but not me. I was hired and off I went to perform at parties. It was truly magical. 

Sadly, I was only there 1 year when weddings started picking up. With both birthday parties and weddings being on weekends, I had to choose photography over being a princess. 

Singing is another talent I am known for. Obviously, I sang a ton as a princess but I also grew up singing at church and in the same year, 2016, I joined an 1800s caroling group and was hired as their soprano. I have been singing with them ever since and absolutely love it! This year I was even asked to sing for a wedding. I sing with my husband a lot and it is another passion of ours. 

Lastly, I would say my faith is a huge part of my life. These past 10 years, I have not stopped going to church even with all the added stresses and I even ran a young adult’s catholic group for a couple years. I had run one of the largest young adult retreats they ever had in my first year. Another great accomplishment. Every year since I have thought about ways I can bring my career closer to my faith life and I had yet to figure it out. This past year, my husband looked at me and said, “Why don’t you create a niche for yourself and do Catholic Wedding Photography only?” All I could think of was what a wonderful idea it was yet also a scary one. To limit myself seemed insane! We did tons of research and talked with other photographers that made the same switch and they never regretted it. 

As of this year, I am now Metro Detroit’s Catholic Wedding Photographer and I’m so thrilled that God has sent me down yet another incredible path. 

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
So many things surprise people when they are getting to know me. Telling people, I grew up on a farm with llamas always gets their attention. The fact that I was the first one to get a license being the youngest of 3 surprises people. I was also the first to move out and buy a house. There is always amusement when people learn I was a princess at parties but they also don’t seem very surprised by it! One of the more major things is that on top of the many jobs I did the past 11 years, I helped take care of my grandma for 8 years leading up to her passing from this earth. She had a major case of Dementia. Taking care of her changed me a lot as a person. My relationship with both grandparents grew a ton and by the time she passed, I knew I wanted to continue taking care of elderly folks after that. Elderly people face so much struggle. Between aches and pains and also having family and friends stop visiting them, it breaks my heart. I always put myself in other people’s shoes and every time I put myself in the shoes of someone elderly, I become sad. I want to be a personal companion to any I come across so they don’t feel alone until the day they enter heaven. I am hoping in the near future, this will be part of my journey. 

Contact Info:

• Email: marlainatphoto@gmail.com
• Website: www.marlainaphoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlainaphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marlainaphoto

Image Credits
Marlaina Trevino
Warm and Fuzzy Photography (Marlaina Trevino Portrait)