My great passion has always been to carefully observe and appreciate the details, with the purpose of immortalizing them through the lens of a camera. From my perspective, I try to appreciate things with all the senses and from a very special perspective. Maybe for this reason I have always had a special predilection for photography as an artistic expression. In general, I'm attracted to everything that involves creativity and ways of expressing art. I'm attracted to the manifestation of the subjective and make my own interpretation of the subject that is in front of my eyes.

   I am curious by nature. Since I was a child, I liked to dig into the detail and that characteristic was accentuated more when I studied Social Communication at the Central University of Venezuela. It was there that I took the first steps to immerse myself in the world of photography and become the photographer I am today.

   As a journalist, I had the opportunity to work as a reporter in the two most important national newspapers in Venezuela: El Nacional and El Universal. On several occasions I was a photographer of my own reports, this was a fascinating, enriching and nourishing experience. Without a doubt, my life as a graphic reporter left a very special mark on me, particularly in my vision of what was happening around me.

   Then I decided to move to the United States. I started working freelance for the Archdiocese of Miami. In parallel, I decided to create my own company based on one of the things I like to do the most. And this is how Drija Photography was born. Company that in the beginning provided photographic services for various schools within Miami-Dade County.

   Subsequently, I raised a new personal and professional challenge and I decided to focus my work on artistic portraits and Fine Art.

   Since then, I have had the opportunity to present my photographic work in various collective exhibitions organized by prestigious local institutions, such as: the Miami-Dade County Public Library system, at the District 8 Arts Fair in Miami, and The Coral Gables Museum.  

   It should be noted that in the latter I participated in the collective exhibition called Capture Coral Gables (2015), after having gone through a rigorous curating process in an open competition aimed at local photographers. Also, I have been part of the intense cultural activity of Miami and the city of Coral Gables, showing my photographs in various Art Fairs organized by private art curators, such as: The Falls Festival of The Arts, Coral Gables Festival of The Arts and the West End Art Fair.

   I invite you to know me through the images that are part of this page. I also invite you to allow me to capture, through the photographic lens, my particular vision, emotions and beauty of the happiest and most important moments of your life.

This is me, Vanessa Guillen Drija

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