Mount Pleasant Woman Calls Her Own Shots

Moriah Gomez, 34, used to spend her days as a young child in a make believe world of photography. With linens as backdrops and household décor as props, she would create a space ready for the shots from her mother's 110 camera.

After graduating from Washington Park High School and attending Gateway Technical College for marketing, Moriah worked for a bit at Picture People in The Regency Mall. At the time, her children were young and she was away from them the majority of the day satisfying the company's long hours. She soon realized that working for herself would give her more time with her family and the ability to call her own shots.

“My job allows me to make my own hours and take time out when I need or want. It doesn't get much better than that,” claims Moriah.

But in fact, it does. Not only does having her own photography business give her more schedule flexibility, but it also affords her an opportunity many people will never experience.

“Honestly, 90 percent of my job does not even feel like work! Its fun!! I get to make people smile at me all day. Who wouldn't love that? Plus, I get to be creative and get paid for it,” Moriah explains, “I have made a lot of new friends and have been to a lot of cool places. My job is always different and no two shoots are the same.”

While 90 percent feels like play, the other 10 percent is definitely work! Weddings provide the greatest amount of stress when it comes to pressure and lighting difficulties.

“The lighting in large churches with stained glass windows are not fun to light. And even if the lighting is good, there is a ton of pressure because there are no do-overs," Moriah notes. "This is why I usually bring a second person with me as well as two cameras, three lenses and two flashes. Murphy's law says, 'if something bad is going to happen to your camera, its going to happen at a wedding!!'”

It is clear that Moriah's career choice was a perfect one. From meeting interesting people to seeing her creations on the walls of clients' homes to being a part of intimate moments of people's lives, this job has her name written all over it. And, frankly, so does her business, Photography by Moriah.

When Moriah isn't snapping shots, she is spending time with her beloved family: her partner, Lisa, and daughters Arael and Junior (12 & 11). They are accompanied by their furry dueling family members, Paris the Dog and Comet the Cat.

Moriah plans on spending her summer hanging out with her family, strumming her guitar (a hobby of over 17 years), taking long walks along the lakefront and sipping some java with friends.

If you are interested in the services of a local, talented photographer, please contact Photography by Moriah by visiting her WEBSITE.