Spend a few minutes perusing the work of photographer Cristal Veronica, and you’ll immediately develop a respect for her honest approach to telling the stories of real people in an authentic and unapologetic way. As a woman of color and member of the LGBTQ+ community, Cristal is on a mission to honor and celebrate the stories of folks in the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
Her photo stories are the antithesis of posed or fake — they are real stories of love, life, marriage, connection, relationships, and everyday moments. Cristal weaves light, composition and connection into the most meaningful, authentic visual stories. Simply put, she creates the kinds of images we want in our own family albums.
We are so proud and honored to feature Cristal Veronica as one of this year’s most powerful changemakers in the photography industry as part of our “UNLIMITED — Conversations with Changemakers” series, made possible through a partnership with Fujifilm.
Meet Cristal Veronica
Cristal is a proud Queer Chicana feminist photographer whose business focuses solely on LGBTQ+ folks and BIPOC. Cristal’s work has been featured in Buzzfeed, F*Yeah Gay Weddings, H&H Weddings, and Catalyst Wedding Magazine. Cristal has served as a speaker at The Family Narrative, a family photography conference/retreat, and the Real Life Conference for woman and non-binary photographers in Canada. In June 2019, Cristal received the “Heritage of Pride – Pride Creativity Award” from SF PRIDE. In addition to photography, Cristal has worked in higher education for 18 years, lives in San Francisco with her wife and rescue pup; enjoys being a Tia; is constantly thinking of future tattoo ideas and places to travel; wishes Tupac was still alive and making music; and is always craving sushi and donuts. You can find out more about Cristal and see her work on her website or on Instagram.
Q: How did you get started with photography?
A: While I’ve always felt like a creative, it wasn’t until after finishing college and beginning my career in higher education that I realized I didn’t have a creative outlet. It’s easy to take art classes when in school, but outside of that, I didn’t make time for art.
One day, I was looking at a friend’s engagement photos and was in awe with how real they felt. Instead of the typical posed images, the images showed a couple just doing life, playing in the street, enjoying the day. I loved the simplicity, as if even the un-posed moments were photo-worthy. And the next thing I did was purchase a DSLR with a kit lens from Amazon and taught myself how to use it. I photographed everything and anyone that would get in front of my lens. I immersed myself into learning all things photography and joined photography groups to meet other photographers.
“As a woman of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m constantly aware of how the stories of my communities are not honored and showcased. Rather, they get lost in the shuffle while stories of White, straight couples with a picket fence and 2.5 kids are made prominent.”
Q: Why weddings and love stories?
A: While I was learning and immersing myself in all things photography, I was lucky to meet a photographer who let me be their second shooter for a wedding, and the rest is history.
The funny thing is that I never would’ve guessed that I’d become involved with the wedding industry at all. Not only were LGBTQ+ couples not able to get married at the time, I also have a hard time with an industry that oftentimes feels more focused on profit than love, marriage and family. Luckily, I realized early on in my business that I was the boss, and could therefore decide who I wanted to work with, and what the focus of my business would be.
Q: What has influenced your photography the most?
A: As a woman of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m constantly aware of how the stories of my communities are not honored and showcased. Rather, they get lost in the shuffle, while stories of white, straight couples with a picket fence and 2.5 kids are made prominent. Sharing glimpses of the real lives of people in my communities is so important to me. Not only does each experience offer validation to my own existence, but I hope the people I photograph feel the same. Their life stories are important and meant to be celebrated.
Outside of working with my communities, the most influential experience to my work has been losing my mother to cancer a few years ago. When you’re left with nothing but memories and images of a loved one, photography feels so much more important. I would give anything to go back in time and document as much of my mom as I could. The way she looked at me with love in her eyes whenever I said goodbye, her hands when sewing a quilt, the way she danced with my niece and nephew to the ending credits of the Trolls movie — all of it. Every moment is photo-worthy, and giving people images of their loved ones to cherish forever is something I hold dear to my heart each and every time I pick up the camera.
Q: Your website is like a bold welcome mat expressing inclusivity. Can you share more about the importance of inclusivity in the photo industry?
A: First of all, thank you for your kind words. I like the idea of it being a “bold welcome mat expressing inclusivity”. The truth is, whenever I land on an artist’s website, the first thing I look for is their “about me” page. I want to know who they are, why they create, and for whom. Whenever possible, I prefer to hire or buy from folks within my communities, and/or folks whose politics align with my own, so my decision to put that front and center on my website was easy. I want people to know exactly what I stand for, and I want to attract folks who believe in those same values (or quickly repel folks who don’t).
After doing a deep dive for a number of years, I’ve found only a handful of Queer BIPOC photographers. I know there are more of us, but we’re not easy to find. Yet, whenever LGBTQ+ photographers are highlighted, the majority are white photographers. Being half-Mexican is such a huge part of my identity as a creative, so when I see only White LGBTQ+ photographers celebrated for their work, I know there’s so much more diversity and unique artist perspectives that are being missed.
I believe the photo industry has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity, but I have seen some positive changes. Photography/art is so personal, and each photographer brings a unique perspective to their work, so when there’s more diversity in the field, we’ll all benefit from having more diverse imagery.
Q: What do you do to ensure your voice as an artist remains strong and true to yourself?
A: The most important thing I do is give myself the ability to say no. I meet with everyone who contacts me before booking to ensure that we are the right “fit” for each other before agreeing to photograph them. I believe it’s important for clients to hire a photographer they trust and feel comfortable with, because this allows them to show up as themselves in front of the camera, which helps create beautiful images they’ll cherish.
On the flip side, I know that I create my best work when clients trust me, and trust is built through sharing who I am and how I approach my work. I’m not for everyone, and I’m happy about that.
“I believe the photo industry has a long way to go in terms of inclusivity, but I have seen some positive changes.”
Q: You seem like such a natural storyteller. Does that come naturally?
A: What a huge compliment — thank you! I definitely don’t believe it comes naturally. While sharing stories of love and family through imagery may look easy, there’s a lot of work behind it. I’ve gotten to this point through years of practice, learning and honing my skills, but I also believe that making honest images is a collaborative effort.
It’s true that I can find the beautiful light, but getting my clients to feel comfortable enough to show up as themselves is key. Getting your photo made is an act of vulnerability, and I work hard to try and provide a space where my clients feel safe and seen, as if they’re hanging out with a new friend.
Q: Any personal photo projects you’d like to share with us?
A: With a full-time day job in higher education, my photo work comes second, so I don’t have too much extra time for personal photo projects. That said, I kind of view my business as a personal photo project. I have been intentional about who my work serves, and that comes from a deep love and commitment to my LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
I don’t know if this is my life’s purpose, but making images with people in these communities feels like heart work, which is a kind of photo project all its own.
Travel is another love of mine, and traveling to new places really brings out my creativity. I love learning about new places, cultures and food, and making photos is a way for me to keep these moments forever. When traveling, it’s hard to keep me from documenting everything.
A couple years ago I purchased a mirrorless FUJIFILM X-T3 for travel, although I love making images with my trusty iPhone just as much. I have personal photos from a few different countries that I still need to make into travel photo books, just for me.
Q: What messages do you hope to convey with your photography?
A: That every moment is photo-worthy — everyday moments with loved ones are just as special as the big life moments; diversity should be celebrated in all its forms; and stories of marginalized communities should be told and honored.
Cristal’s Fujifilm gear:
Camera: FUJIFILM X-T3
Lenses: FUJINON XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR and FUJINON XF23mmF1.4 R
“I’m not for everyone, and I’m happy about that.” — Cristal
Photos by Cristal Veronica.
This post is made possible through a partnership with Fujifilm as part of our “UNLIMITED — Conversations with Changemakers” interview series. Unlimited honors powerful feminist photographers and spotlights the artistic voices of those seeking to change the narrative. We hope to help bring focus to storytellers with purpose who are sharing their diverse perspectives with the world. Through this beautiful tapestry of unique voices, we want to be part of a cohesive message of unity, equity and inclusion.
