Valorie Darling Photographer | About

I'm a hometown girl native to the Bay Area with roots in Washington State. I grew up with a hunger to experience the world and a call back to the California beach life.  My photography career bloomed from a passion for social activism. In 2009, I co-founded an arts program for foster kids and low-income families in South Central LA called SoCal HeARTs. The mission was to offer creative activities cut from public schools to nurture well-rounded children and their dreams. A few years in, I got behind the camera to document the work and found my calling.   I never intended to shoot weddings but after my co-founder believed in me and insisted I shoot hers (and it got published), I quickly realized it was what I was meant to do. I fell in love with documenting the beautiful families I got to connect with, the amazing places I got to go, the wonderful creative partners I had the opportunity to collaborate with. It's been over a decade of shooting weddings now, and I have learned that the best shots are the real ones, the moments of presence that come from a comfort and a whole team that cares mostly about you enjoying a moment that will only exist once.