Community Highlights: Meet Juliet Meza of Sol Images LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliet Meza

Hi Juliet, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Juliet Meza. A 27 year old wife, mother, retired adventure junkie turned homebody? I was born and raised in Colorado. I’ve lived all over Colorado and spent about 6 years in Denton, Texas. I got my first disposable camera on a family road trip to Northern California in 2005. Ever since, I’ve had a camera in my hands. My photos on that trip consisted of banana slugs and unflattering angles due to the sole fact that I was so small and low to the ground. My photos transformed to digital as soon as my parents bought their first canon, a huge bulky thing. Every sister (I’m the oldest of 6, one of which is my twin) or best friend I’ve ever had has been my model whether it was pretend runway fashion photos or family photos. After I graduated high school I bought my first camera ever. It was the first mirrorless camera of its kind, the Sony a7 mark I, the OG. I had two best friends, Luke from elementary school and Manfred a German exchange student and we were inseparable. We hiked and adventured if not everyday, every week. My camera came with.
I’ve always loved portraits but add in epic mountain views and we’re rocking and rolling. I took photos for family and friends and took my own family’s photos yearly. I was about to enroll at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado with my best friends and realized I had no idea what I even wanted to go to school for. I decided to spend a season snowboarding in Telluride and staying with my older cousin Kelsey. After the season ended, I moved to Texas with a friend from high school and enrolled in community college. I worked as a server as soon as I turned 18 and made a little close nit friend group of the coolest and weirdest friends ever. We were all so different but cared for each other like family. I was so young living in Texas by myself but they really took care of me. I was constantly pulled over on the side of a Texas backroad taking photos of the morning dew drops and the fog or my friends on their Harleys or our makeshift sets.
Every adventure or trip I went on I was the group travel photographer which maybe should be a thing actually. My favorite trips were Big Bend National Park, the San Juan mountains of Colorado, and my roadtrip with my best friend from Texas that started in Southern California and ended in Washington state. We stopped at every national park and went to the beach every chance along the way. I loved adventure and the time I had with my friend and my camera but I was craving routine and steadiness. Surprise surprise it actually isn’t glamorous to live on the road for 3 months.
I moved back home to Colorado and luckily met my husband shortly after. It wasn’t until I was pregnant with my daughter that I had a high school friend reach out to see if I could photograph her wedding. I was not official and she knew this, but I said yes and got started right away to be official. I spent the whole year creating my website, establishing an LLC, opening a business account, honing on social media, attained business insurance, business cards, and upgraded the equipment I would need for photographing a wedding at an actual venue in the mountains of Idaho Springs. Shortly after a friend from Texas reached out that she was moving to Colorado and needed an elopement photographer. My second wedding booking that year. I learned A LOT and grew A LOT.
The next year, 2024, I was finally able to quit my job at Chase and be a full time mom in May. Shortly after my grandma who is everything to me was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Photography was put on the back burner as I adjusted to being at home with my first baby and traveling back and forth between Utah to take care of my grandma until she died in July. She was my number one supporter and she took care of me always. We talked every single day and I told her absolutely everything. I’m thankful that everything aligned and I was even able to be with her so much now that I was done working. After she passed I felt a green light for photography again, a natural push. I turned my guest room with south west facing windows into a studio and hosted my first ever Christmas minis. They were absolutely fun and successful! And I’m taking that energy into next year baby. I want epic views, fun locations, creative boho sets, fun couples, hopefully turned friends and all the mess that come with it! Here’s to chasing your dreams. Cheers y’all.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My life has not been a smooth road so actually photography for me has been the only constant thing in my life. My hobby forever. I think growing up with no money and moving all the time were my constant struggles throughout my life. Recently, losing my grandma was hard. However, all of those things have shaped who I am today. Today I am a mother and a wife. My husband is my best friend and really works hard to provide for us and because of the safe space my husband has created for me and our daughter I can clearly feel and be love. My daughter has reminded me of all of life’s gifts, how to be unhurried, content, mindful, and loving. Lately I’ve learned that love is the answer to everything and you can see that in my photos.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Sol Images was created with love and passion and intention. Sol is Spanish for sun. As a natural light photographer I definitely need that sunshine! Furthermore I feel like photographing subjects is really much more intimate than we think. It’s a look into their soul, their dimples, their giggles, their eyes, the way a mother holds her baby, or the way a large burly cowboy leans down to kiss his wife’s shoulder. Life is love and love is life and I’m right here to capture it for you. I specialize in portraits but love adventure, creating in a studio space, and traveling.
My goals for 2025 are to make time for minis in order to connect with more families, hike all over with some cool ass down to earth people for engagements and elopements, and then travel to photograph weddings in epic destinations with y’all. What sets me aside is that I’m a really easy going, kind, and candid photographer who’s down to go to travel with you. My style is candid, authentic, raw, and true to tone.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
YES. My husband and I were dating at the time and living together. We both lost our jobs. As soon as we could we both worked two jobs all throughout Covid. We had to hustle while the rest of the world was too scared to just get groceries. We haven’t let our guard down since I’d say. It really established where we are now. I’m really thankful to be able to finally pour into to the things that bring me love and life like my husband, my daughter, and my passion for photography.

Pricing:

• Portraits- starting at $150
• Engagements- starting at $250
• Family- starting at $250
• Elopement- starting at $1500
• Wedding- starting at $2000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Solimagesllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solimagesllc/profilecard/?igsh=NXNmaGZ0YmN3enls
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CZ1QMQjiN/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
All images by me Juliet. Sol Images LLC.