I’m Alyssia DeAnne Zepeda—a 23-year-old multi-talented creative, photographer, and proud HBCU graduate dedicated to using my gifts to amplify underrepresented voices. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, I’ve carried the weight of expectations and systemic barriers while discovering my strength in the very things meant to break me.

 

I earned my degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a concentration in Mass Media Production from North Carolina A&T State University—the nation's largest HBCU and the #1 public HBCU. My time there shaped not only the way I tell stories, but also why I tell them. I've developed a deep passion for Black archives, cultural preservation, and documenting the histories that shape people like me. I believe storytelling is one of our greatest tools for preserving identity, protecting legacy, and ensuring future generations know where they come from.

 

My interest in photography actually started long before I ever thought of making it a career. As a kid, I carried around a simple point-and-shoot camera, but I did all kinds of art. I knew I loved creating, but I was still searching for the medium that truly felt like me.

 

That purpose began to take shape during my sophomore year of high school when I enrolled in a film photography class. Learning to shoot and develop film taught me patience, intention, and the value of preserving a single moment before I ever picked up a professional digital camera, and that’s when it became more than an interest or hobby.

 

My earliest work is in photojournalism. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I was in community organizing, protests, marches, and conversations about justice. I learned that history wasn't something confined to textbooks; it was unfolding in front of me every day.  I began documenting those spaces and gave us a voice, since the media wouldn’t. Looking back, my love for archives and understanding that someone had to preserve those stories has really come full circle. 

 

You can say this business officially began in 2021, and I'm grateful to remember the days when I charged just $15 for a photoshoot. Every client, every late night editing session, and every opportunity to learn helped shape the photographer and storyteller I am today. What started as an hobby slowly became a business, but my purpose has remained the same: to create images that make people feel seen, valued, and remembered. The term is “Falling in Love with Every Shoot” for that reason.

 

Everything I do is rooted in advocacy. Through photography, creative direction, education, and storytelling, I want people I connect with to reimagine what healing looks like—especially for young Black and Brown people. I believe that a free-spirited, confident Black woman is one of the most powerful forces in the world, and I stand boldly in becoming that and creating more.

 

During my teenage years, I battled debilitating anxiety and depression, living in survival mode. Choosing peace over pressure became my turning point. Photography became both my refuge and my revolution, offering beauty and truth in the face of struggle.

 

Today, my work extends beyond creating beautiful images. That’s why “Falling in Love with Every Shoot” became “Falling in Love with Every ________.” There’s so much to be do in life and fall in love with.