Meet Aislinn
fort worth senior and family photographer
Hey y'all! I'm a Fort Worth photographer serving families and seniors all around DFW, TX (based in Keller). Thanks for being here!
With 6 younger siblings and a mom who battled cancer, I understand how quickly life changes and how overwhelming even simple things can become. I love that photography allows me to create something beautiful to share with others and hope to make your next session as fun, memorable, and stress-free as possible! My goal is always to serve God well by serving my clients well. But photography isn't the only thing I love, so keep reading to learn a little more about me.
Fun Facts: I'm 24 years old, I moved a lot growing up, I hate pumpkin snickerdoodles, Texas is my favorite, and I love creating photos that are warm and timeless.
MY GO-TO...
Foods:
Coffee
Dark Chocolate
Soup
Brownies (only the fudgy kind. Brownies with a cake-like texture are a disgrace)
Songs:
Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
Dancing in the Street by Stephen Day
Be Her by Ella Langley
In Dreams by Sierra Ferrell
Rainy Day Activities
Reading + coffee
Baking
Driving (I will find any excuse I can to leave the house. Driving in the rain while listening to my rainy day playlist is simply the best)
THE BIG PICTURE
2016: My first DSLR
When I was 15, I got bored, used my iPhone to photograph a purple flower in our new backyard, and thought it was the greatest thing ever. I started reading every photography related article I could find on Pinterest, and eventually proved to my mom that this wasn't just a stage. I got my first DSLR that Christmas and have been improving my skills ever since!
2020: Paid shoots
My senior year of high school, I finally started doing paid shoots for family and friends! That same year my mom was diagnosed with leukemia, so I waited longer than planned to start a business. But she encouraged me as much as she could! Despite life being quite different than anticipated, I continued doing photography sessions while pursuing my college degree.
2022: Graduation and photography
I graduated in 2022 with an associate's in business, and finally started an official photography business in 2023! I've done plenty of photo shoots since then, and I can't wait to continue working with families and seniors to create fun, beautiful photos that capture your personality during this season of life!
"It was so hard picking which photos to share because we love them all!! Aislinn Rivera is the best!"
—Sheena C.
MY STORY: THE LONG VERSION
The following paragraphs are just a longer version of the "Big Picture" section above. My mom played a huge role in my life, and I felt compelled to have a more detailed story on this website of what the past few years have been like, so here it is if you are interested! Other wise, check out my portfolio below!
The Purple Flower
I became interested in photography when I was 15, all because of a random photo I took of on my iPhone! My dad was in the Air Force and we had just moved to Virginia that summer, so I wasn't familiar with our backyard. I found a purple flower near the back, took a photo, and loved how it turned out. I spent that whole afternoon reading Pinterest articles about photography for beginners. By December, I had proved to my mom that this wasn't just a phase, and got my first DSLR for Christmas. I practiced constantly on my 6 younger siblings and am still passionate about it to this day!
I love the creativity and beauty that I get to share through photography, and how it reminds us to be thankful and appreciate the present. I also appreciate that as a photographer, I get to directly interact with my clients face-to-face, without having to socialize all day. I still love my alone time, so the fact that I'm only being social for the one or two hours during a shoot is quite nice, lol.
School, Family, and Photography
I continued practicing photography while in high school, eventually doing my first paid shoot during my senior year! By that point, I knew I wanted to start a photography business, but decided to get an associate's degree in case I changed plans. I had hoped to start my business after I graduated, while still working on a business degree at TCC. But life changed a lot before high school ended, and I would end up taking longer to accomplish those goals.
Right as the spring semester started, my amazing mom was diagnosed with leukemia, which was a lot for my family to deal with. We all had more responsibilities to take on and were dealing with the emotions that come with hearing that sort of news, and things like photography and school just weren't at the top of my mind. But God was faithful, and gave us the strength and hope to live with this new normal. I continued to take college courses, and while I didn't focus quite as much on photography as originally planned, I did multiple photoshoots over the next 2 years. Despite initial setbacks, I caught up to where I would graduate from TCC my sophomore year. By then, my mom had completed her treatments and been cured of leukemia, but recovery was a long journey of ups and downs. The day after Christmas 2022, she got sick and went to the hospital, where she was eventually put on a ventilator and died the day after my last four courses started. I loved her more than words can say, and it is a little weird to write about all this, but it feels wrong not to include that part of my life when talking about this business. She encouraged me to pursue this dream from the very beginning, and set an amazing example of joy in the Lord, thankfulness, and care for others throughout my whole life. I was always getting caught up worrying about the future, and she was great at reminding me to dwell on good things and to "not let worry over the future rob you of today's joy". So I love that photography allows me and others to slow down and thankfully cherish the here and now. She truly was my biggest cheerleader, and I know she would be happy I'm still doing photography. After she died, I dropped two of my classes, so I still had two left by the end of that semester. A year later, after finishing a summer course and a fall course (and doing more photoshoots), I finally graduated and started this business! Life is still hard without her, but I have hope that one day we will be together with Jesus in heaven. In the meantime, I know God still has a plan for me here, and I love that I get to share the beauty of photography with others as part of it!