Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Alvarez.
Hi Ray, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m not an Orlando native. I was actually born and raised in New York City and spent most of my life there. Photography started for me in New York, and for a period of time I ran a very successful wedding photography business in a smaller city in Upstate New York. At that point, my business had grown into one of the more recognized wedding photography brands in that area and the surrounding cities. I was running a six figure wedding business, which at the time felt like a huge accomplishment and showed me that photography could be more than just something I loved. It could be a real career.
Eventually, for many personal and business reasons, our ventures brought us down to Florida. I honestly thought the transition would be easier than it was. I thought my experience, portfolio, and years in business would carry over quickly, but I learned very fast that moving to a new market meant starting over. I had no local recognition, no local reputation, no client base, and no one really knew who I was. The only things I brought with me were my camera gear, my experience, and the belief that I could build it again.
So that is what I did. I worked hard to rebuild from the ground up here in Central Florida. Over time, I developed my wedding brand, Weddings By Ray, and my creative portrait and education brand, Shoot With Ray. Weddings By Ray has grown into a team based wedding photography and videography brand. We now cover anywhere from 20 to 45 weddings a year, with me personally photographing about 10 of them and my team handling the rest. That team has been with me for about four years now. I have trained them in my style, developed them, and built a level of trust with them that allows us to serve more couples while still keeping the experience consistent.
At the same time, Shoot With Ray has grown into something bigger than I originally expected. What started as my creative portrait work has also become a space where I teach and help other photographers. Over the last few years, I have grown as an educator in the photography industry, teaching creative lighting, off camera flash, gels, and real world techniques to photographers across the country.
One of the biggest honors in that journey has been being recognized by major brands in the industry. Westcott Lighting, one of the most respected lighting companies in photography, brought me into their Top Pro program. That recognition meant a lot because it showed me that the work I had been doing, not just as a photographer but as an educator, was reaching people beyond my own local market.
Today, I get to photograph weddings, create portraits, lead a team, travel, teach workshops, and help other photographers become better versions of themselves. It was not an easy transition coming to Florida, but looking back, starting over here is one of the things that helped me grow the most.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges was realizing that the wedding industry in Florida is completely different from the wedding industry I came from up north.
Even the wedding seasons are different. In New York, wedding season was usually strong from summer into the fall, and then things would slow down during the winter. Here in Florida, it is almost reversed. Wedding season really picks up in the fall and continues through the spring. There are some weddings in the summer, but because of the heat, many are indoors or they are destination weddings with couples who may not fully realize how intense the Florida heat can be.
From a business perspective, Florida was also a tough market to step into. The pricing structure is different, the economy is different, and the wedding photography space is very saturated. But I never really looked at saturation as the biggest issue, because there can be a million photographers in one market and every single one of us can still bring a different style, personality, and client experience.
For me, the client experience has always been one of the biggest things that helped me stand out. I have learned that a lot of success in this industry comes from the small details people sometimes overlook. Communication, preparation, making clients feel guided, helping them feel comfortable, and creating an experience that feels professional from start to finish. Those are the things that build trust.
The hardest part was that I started from zero here. I did not move to Florida with a local name, local referrals, or an established client base. And being a full time photographer while starting over is not easy, because there is not really a backup plan. For me, it was all or nothing. I had a household to take care of, kids to provide for, and a business I had to rebuild from the ground up.
That pressure was real, but it also pushed me. It forced me to work harder, build stronger systems, connect with the right people, and really prove myself in a new market. Looking back, those challenges shaped a lot of who I am today as a photographer, business owner, and educator.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m Ray Alvarez and I am a photographer, creative director, and educator based in Central Florida. My work is split between two main brands: Weddings By Ray, which focuses on wedding photography and videography, and Shoot With Ray, which focuses on creative portraits, branding, headshots, education, and content creation.
As a photographer, I specialize in creating images that feel intentional, polished, and full of personality. Whether I am photographing a wedding, a business owner, a creative portrait session, or a professional headshot, I care deeply about the experience just as much as the final image. I want people to feel guided, comfortable, confident, and taken care of throughout the entire process.
One of the things I am known for is my use of lighting. I love working with off camera flash, creative lighting, and gels to create images that stand out. I have always been drawn to photos that feel cinematic, bold, and intentional. Lighting has become a big part of my style, and it is also one of the main things I teach to other photographers.
Through Weddings By Ray, I have built a team that photographs and films weddings throughout Florida. What I am most proud of is not just the number of weddings we cover, but the trust I have been able to build with both my clients and my team. My team has been trained in my style and approach, so couples can still receive a consistent experience even when I am not personally photographing every wedding.
Through Shoot With Ray, I have been able to grow as an educator in the photography industry. I travel, teach workshops, speak at photography events, and help other photographers understand lighting, posing, business, and how to create a better experience for their own clients. Being recognized by brands like Westcott Lighting and being part of their Top Pro program has been a huge honor and a reminder that the work is reaching beyond my local market.
What sets me apart is that I do not only focus on taking a good photo. I focus on the full experience, the preparation, the communication, the lighting, the confidence of the person in front of the camera, and the systems behind the scenes that make everything feel smooth. I care about doing the work well, but I also care about helping others grow. That balance of photographer, business owner, and educator is a big part of who I am today.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
One piece of advice I would give to anyone starting out is to slow down and really learn the craft before rushing to turn it into a business.
I completely understand the excitement. You pick up a camera, take a few good photos, people start complimenting your work, and suddenly it feels like you are ready to start charging. Ambition is a good thing, but I think a lot of new photographers hurt themselves by skipping the foundation. Before you build a business around photography, you have to make sure you actually understand photography.
Learn your basic settings. Learn how light works. Practice in different situations. Challenge yourself. Use one lens for a few shoots so you can really understand it. Shoot in natural light, then learn off camera flash. Try photographing in a darker environment and figure out how to light it properly, then go back outside in brighter conditions and learn how to adjust. Those kinds of challenges prepare you for real world situations where everything is not always perfect.
One question I always encourage photographers to ask themselves is, “Am I creating good photos consistently because I understand what I am doing, or am I just getting lucky every once in a while?” There is nothing wrong with being new, but there is a difference between getting a good photo and knowing how to create a good photo on purpose.
I say this a lot in my mentorship community and with photographers I teach. I have spent the last few years building a mentorship program, and this year I expanded it into a full online community. I also offer a local boot camp style mentorship for photographers who want to fast track themselves into building a real photography business. One of the biggest things I try to teach is that success takes time. You cannot rush the process, and if you do, the industry has a way of humbling you.
I also wish I knew early on how important it was to enjoy the process. When photography becomes a business, it changes. You are no longer only creating for fun. You are managing clients, deadlines, expectations, money, contracts, communication, editing, marketing, and everything else that comes with running a business. So before you rush into the business side, make sure you still love the art side.
If photography is your hobby, enjoy it. Learn, practice, create, and have fun with it. If you want it to become your business, take it seriously, build the foundation, and give yourself time to grow into the photographer and business owner you want to become.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shootwithray.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shootwithray
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shootwithray
- Other: https://geni.us/communitymentoring
