“March 4, 2016, was my last day sitting in a 6-by-6 cubicle at a job that is no longer fulfilling. With the support of my husband, I took a year off from looking for another same old job to be stuck at.
“During this time I did a lot of soul searching. I volunteered for a local Presentation Power event, listened to podcasts, and binge watched nearly every documentary on Netflix. ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’ stood out above the rest. Jiro Ono, now a 93-year-old sushi chef, created his own legacy. People travel from all around the world to eat at his restaurant.
“I believe everyone has a purpose and a great story to tell. I just needed to figure out what mine was. With my attention to detail and wanting a creative outlet, my search led me to portrait photography.
“It’s not about creating a legacy for myself, but more of a photographic biography of a moment for the people I photograph. My goal is to convey an emotional connection between the subject and the viewer.
“Today, I am focusing on building my portfolio specializing in high school senior portraits, and in my spare time volunteering for The Baytown Project.”
— Olivia Garza
Olivia recently started taking photos to go along with some of The Baytown Project stories. You’ll begin seeing her work here very soon. For more information on her business, check out her website. She’s also active on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.