Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Casas.
Leslie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It started as something fun I did with friends — bringing a camera along on our outings and adventures, just capturing moments because I loved doing it. I never set out to make it a business.
Then in June 2015, my brother asked me to shoot his wedding — and also asked me to be a bridesmaid, so I spent the day somehow managing a camera and a bouquet at the same time. Not long after, someone asked me to do their graduation pictures. Then engagement photos. Then photos for a friend’s business. Then I found myself doing it all over again at another wedding — photographer and bridesmaid, once more. People kept asking, and I kept saying yes.
By April 2017, I quietly soft-launched a website — no advertising, no big announcement, just a place for the work to live while I figured out if this was something real or just a really fun hobby that kept growing.
What followed was years of doing both: working in accounting and estimating during the day, and photography on nights and weekends. Imposter syndrome was a constant companion — if I’m honest, it still shows up sometimes even now. Leaving a stable corporate career to bet on myself felt terrifying. But in 2022, I finally made that leap.
Looking back, I don’t think I chose photography so much as it chose me — one wedding, one favor for a friend, at a time. And I’m so glad I finally listened.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, and I don’t think it’s supposed to be.
For years, I was doing photography on nights and weekends while also working part-time for a company where “other duties as assigned” became the theme of my career. Between that and photography, there wasn’t much room left for rest. Late nights editing, weekends booked with sessions, and constantly trying to prove — to myself, mostly — that this “side thing” was worth taking seriously.
Imposter syndrome has been the biggest and most persistent struggle. Even after years of experience and a growing list of happy clients, there’s still a voice that asks if I’m really good enough, if people will keep choosing me. I’ve learned it doesn’t fully go away — I’ve just gotten better at not letting it make my decisions for me.
The hardest moment was deciding to leave that job in 2022 to focus on photography full-time. It meant trading something stable and familiar for something less certain, and betting on myself in a very real, very scary way. There was no guarantee it would work out. I just knew I couldn’t keep doing both forever, and I wasn’t ready to let photography stay a “someday” thing.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in portraits across the board — weddings, engagement, family shoots, newborns, graduation, business/branding — but wedding portraits hold a special place for me. There’s something about capturing two people at one of the most meaningful moments of their lives that I don’t take lightly.
As an empath, I’m hyper-aware that everyone stepping in front of my camera has a story, preferences, and insecurities — and that discomfort can’t hide in a photograph. So my job during a session isn’t just to take pictures. It’s to make people feel comfortable, listen to what they want their portraits to convey, understand how they want to feel when they look back at the images years from now, and then make that happen for them.
I tell stories in pixels. More specifically, I tell other people’s stories in pixels. I think that’s why clients tend to feel at ease during our sessions, laugh a lot, and walk away calling the experience genuinely fun. It’s also why so many of them come back — I’ve had the honor of photographing clients’ milestones years after our first shoot together, watching their stories unfold over time.
What sets me apart, I think, is a combination of things: my range and adaptability — I focus on my client’s vision first, not just my own aesthetic preferences — and speaking English, Spanish, and French, which lets me connect with clients I might not otherwise be able to serve well. I also love when clients give me creative freedom for moody, dark editorial-style shoots — that’s where I get to really play.
And here’s the irony people don’t expect: I’m told I have a “bubbly and charming personality,” despite being a natural introvert who would happily live in her bat-cave with minimal social interaction. I’m a walking paradox — and apparently, that’s the perfect storm for connecting with people through a lens and making people feel at ease.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Honestly, I’m self-taught — and if you’ll recall, I lean introverted, so traditional networking has never come naturally to me. I haven’t done a ton of in-person mingling or collaborating, and I’ve made peace with that.
What has worked for me is finding community in spaces that don’t require me to leave my batcave: I’m part of Sawyer Hartman’s Full-Time Creator Pro community on Skool, which has been genuinely valuable for guidance and mentorship as I’ve grown this business. I also follow and stay connected with other photographers and creators on Instagram — seeing their work and their journeys keeps me inspired and reminds me I’m not figuring this out alone, even if I’m doing it my own way.
My advice, if you’re also someone who’d rather avoid a room full of strangers: you don’t have to network the “traditional” way to grow. Find the online spaces and communities where people are generous with what they know, show up consistently, and let that be enough. It has been for me.
Pricing:
- Pricing varies based on session type and package — I offer options for weddings, portraits, branding, headshots, graduation, and newborn sessions to fit different needs and budgets. For exact pricing, feel free to reach out directly at www.venturinglaughter.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.venturinglaughter.com
- Instagram: @venturinglaughter
