People often ask me why I became a professional photographer. It’s not an easy question to answer, because it wasn’t something I dreamed of as a child. I wasn’t the kid who always carried a camera, certain of their destiny. I was the “genius kid” — the principal’s favorite, the straight-A honor student, the one collecting awards, writing for the school newspaper, serving as vice president of her class, and joining every fun and nerdy club imaginable. I had a wide range of passions: biology, physiology, English literature, psychology, marine biology, and of course, the arts. I felt like I could do anything.
What most people don’t know is what my home life was like. I grew up with parents who were rebellious in the best way. We immigrated from Mexico when I was just a baby, and my parents were determined to break away from the expectations of their cultural upbringing. They were free-thinkers, a little bit hippie, eager to immerse themselves in American culture. From a very young age, I was learning about Einstein, Gandhi, revolutionary leaders, and the complexities of the human condition.
Art was always in our home. My brothers and I are all artists, and from the earliest days my mother encouraged us to create without boundaries. She let us draw on the walls and paint however we liked. She didn’t care about what other people thought the house should look like; she cared about expanding our minds and breaking rules.
My father, too, played a part. He was an amateur photographer, and even though we grew up poor, there was always a camera around — sometimes even a video camera — along with lenses and gear. He was also an entrepreneur at heart. Though he studied accounting in Mexico, he worked as a tailor from a young age, eventually starting his own business here. My father is a kind, Buddhist, unconditionally loving free-thinker, and my mother is a strong, independent, and brilliant woman.
That was the foundation of my world before photography entered the picture — a home built on creativity, resilience, and curiosity.
As a teenager, I found myself caught between two worlds: my scientific curiosity and my deep love for fine art. With a camera always lying around the house, it felt natural to start experimenting with photography. At first, I never imagined it could become a career — much like my father, I saw it as just a hobby. My heart leaned more toward becoming a painter or a writer. I filled notebooks with poetry and short stories, and I spent countless hours with a paintbrush in hand.
By seventh grade, I began taking photos of my friends. I was instantly hooked — not just on the act of photographing, but on the reactions I received. I loved the way people lit up when they saw themselves through my lens. Growing up, I struggled with my weight and rarely felt conventionally beautiful. Photography became my outlet, a way to give others the feeling I always longed for myself: to be seen as beautiful.
Because art surrounded me from such an early age, composition, color, and texture came naturally. Photography felt instinctive, as if I’d been preparing for it my whole life without realizing it. Through the camera, I discovered my gift — the ability to show people their own beauty, even when they couldn’t see it themselves.
When I entered college, I majored in Fine Art Photography and English Literature. But because we didn’t have much growing up, I had been working since I was a child, and eventually the demands of making money outweighed finishing my degree. I found myself working for a large corporation, earning what was considered an impressive income for my age. And then — I walked away. I quit to pursue my dream of photography.
At that point, I had already been shooting small jobs on the side, but leaving security for passion left my friends and family stunned. I was living on my own when fate intervened one Sunday evening. I stopped by Pro Photo Connection in Irvine to pick up materials for a photography class, and struck up a conversation with the owner. That chance meeting led to a job, and from there, doors began to open.
Working at Pro Photo allowed me to connect with many of Orange County’s top photographers. I had a front-row seat to how the best in the industry worked, and soon I was assisting one of them, Jimmy from Studio 52. Over time, I sharpened my skills and discovered my own creative voice. When I noticed that one of the photographers that I was an association photographer for, had begun using my work to advertise their studio, I realized I had outgrown working for someone else. It was time to step out on my own.
At age 30 — with more than a decade of photography experience already behind me — I launched my own business. Over 20 years later, I am proud to say I’ve built a full-time career as a photographer with over 30 years of professional wedding photography experience. I’m an award-winning, extensively published artist, and for years I’ve also mentored and educated other photographers. Most importantly, I’ve built a life where I wake up every day grateful to do what I love.
Photography has given me the perfect space to merge my fine art background with my love of the technical. Along the way, I’ve helped families preserve their most cherished memories, creating timeless keepsakes of love, legacy, and life’s most meaningful moments.
I’ve also built a business on my own terms. I never compromise my integrity. I work hard — every single day — but I do it with freedom, joy, and passion. My clients are my greatest advocates, my “walking billboards,” and I attract the most amazing, wonderful, and loving people in the world. For that, I will always be thankful.
ME.. EDNA EUDAVE
Thank you for checking out my blog if you liked what you read and are ready to book your wedding, engagement, maternity newborn, family, sexy or boudoir or high school senior portraits and are located in Orange County or the WORLD.. please call Edna Eudave Square Eye Photography 714-420-8285 (or text)
Also please feel free to share this blog and follow us on
Business Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SquareEyePhotography
Personal Facebook https://www.facebook.com/edna.eudave
Instagram https://instagram.com/squareeyephoto
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/edna_eudave/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/squareeyephotographyedna
Google Plus https://plus.google.com/u/0/+EdnaEudavesquareeyephoto/posts
Twitter https://twitter.com/SquareEyePhoto
And of course that main website for amazing photography is www.squareeyephoto.com