Today we’d like to introduce you to Catalina Shoate.
Hi Catalina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I feel like my story as a photographer began during the Civil War in Beirut, Lebanon. Until the age of 11, I lived my entire life in that war with my combat photographer parents. To this day, I still look through the boxes of black and white images they took (and developed themselves) of the war, and it reminds me how lucky I am to still be here.
My parents were both combat photographers for a newspaper called An-Nahar and risked their lives every day for work but did their best to shelter us and keep us safe. My parents, brother, and I lived in a one-bedroom apartment on one side of the city, but we would sneak back and forth to our grandparents’ house on the other side, depending on where most of the combat was happening. My dad would stay with us during the day while my mom was out capturing combat (including the bombing of the US Embassy in 1983), then he would work nights while my mom would take care of us. After 11 years of living in the middle of combat and near-death experiences (including our school getting bombed during session), my parents decided to move us to San Diego through a family friend who sponsored us. Today, we are all proud citizens of the US!
It seems like I’ve never been without a camera in hand, but it’s always been for a different cause or purpose. I’ve always been the girl taking pictures of everyone; then I became the woman who always had a camera in hand. I have a need to memorialize things through images. I think it’s because all I have left of Beirut (and my “old life”) are the images my parents took. In a certain way, I feel like if I don’t capture certain moments, I may forget them. However, all of my work as a “photographer” over the years was in hobby form.
Once I got older, I started taking photography a little more seriously and considered doing it as a profession (although I was already working full-time as a law firm administrator by then). I knew I had inherited an eye for capturing moments from my parents but hadn’t really considered getting paid for it. It was just something I really enjoyed doing for other people. Sharing pictures makes people happy, and that always made me happy. However, by that time, I had started my family, and as a new mom, I just couldn’t allocate the time to a new profession. Also, there was something in photography becoming obligatory that took the joy out of it for me, so I paused my efforts.
Even though I put SnapShoate aside, I never stopped taking pictures. I was doing it in a volunteer capacity for my children’s sports teams. This is where I found my niche as a sports photographer. Sharing images of my children’s teammates with their parents has given me a tremendous feeling of joy and accomplishment. I’ve been told that certain images I’ve shared with parents will forever live in their hearts (and in frames)! To me, that is the true measure of a photographer, not the monetary reward.
Four kids and 13 years later, I recently decided to pick this project back up, but have not really decided if I want to do it for monetary purposes yet. I enjoy doing it for fun too much. I’m hoping through SnapShoate that I can continue to make people happy, whether I get paid for it or not.
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?
Being a photographer is always fun. However, being a photographer as a mother of 4, who works full-time and homeschools (with my husband’s help) is definitely not the true definition of “smooth.” I knew early on I had to prioritize accordingly and put my family first. I’ve had no regrets about making that decision, and I honestly feel like a happier person/photographer for doing so.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would consider myself a sports-photographer first; however, I do enjoy doing portrait and event photography.
There is nothing like capturing the raw passion of an athlete at the peak of their performance (mid-pitch, catch, throw, or shot). I feel like that is when you see their true character and heart. Those are raw moments in life that cannot be fabricated. Seeing the vulnerability of these athletes through their emotions can be quite powerful and overwhelming at times.
For the last 13 + years, I have refused to get paid for my work. I enjoy taking images of sporting events and sharing those moments with athletes or their parents in order to make them happy. Taking pictures for money kills the fun for me.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think “risk-taking” is relative to the risk involved. I don’t think I have voluntarily taken on any risk that compares to the ones my parents did to try and keep us safe in Beirut (and eventually get us out). Nothing I have done as a woman, wife, or mother will ever compare. I am aware and grateful for that.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: snapshoate
