Get to know me!
Hi! As you most likely already know, my name is Savannah Rivera, and I am the owner and photographer for Girasoles Photography. This blog is for you to learn about who I am outside of running Girasoles Photography and how I became who I am today. So, let's dive in!
First thing's first, my entire world. My husband, Andres, and I got married in October 2023. He is the most kind, loving, supportive husband a girl could ask for. We met at a dance event in June of 2021 and immediately hit it off - if that wasn't obvious by the marriage. Andres gifted me a beginner photography studio set-up during our first Christmas together. He said he thought I could make photography a business, and his support has not wavered. No one believes in me more than he and my parents do.
Next is our pup, Reba. I adopted Reba in 2018 and she has been my emotional support animal for years. She was with me through my senior year of college; then, in May of 2019, we moved to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, for a year. She moved with me everywhere. Thankfully, we are in one place and have settled in nicely. She is an absolute love. She barks like she's ferocious, but she's the biggest scaredy-cat in the world. I love that it looks like she's smiling in this picture! It definitely shows her personality.
Last but certainly not least, my parents! My dad is always supportive and caring. He and my stepmom live on the other side of New Hampshire, so I don't get to see them very much, but I absolutely love it when I get to spend time with them! My mom is my person. She has been my ride-or-die my entire life. If I ever need anything at all, Mom is there. When I was sick (we'll get there), she and my stepdad let me move back home since she had to care for me 24/7. I can always count on my mom and vice versa. Although my parents divorced when I was two years old, they have remained friends and have never had tension, at least not that I know of! I remember my dad used to sleep in the guest room on Christmas Eve so he could be there in the morning when the present opening began! They coordinated a speech at my wedding - it was a beautiful moment. By the way, I didn't take the picture to the right; credit goes to Kayla Middlemiss.
MY TRAVELS
I went to Keene State College in Keene, NH, for Secondary Education and Spanish. My goal was always to study abroad as much as possible to become fluent in Spanish and learn about Latin culture. I expected to study abroad twice, once in Ecuador and once in Spain. In the spring of sophomore year, I studied in Ecuador. I fell in love with the culture and was not ready to go home after six months. The food was incredible, the people were warm and welcoming, the buses jam packed, and lots of biodiversity. I was fortunate enough to visit the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands, and the coast. My college was in the Andes mountains, so I saw it all! I also had the opportunity to travel to Cuzco, Peru, and Colombia. It was a truly incredible experience, but it also opened my heart as I saw a lot of poverty. I spent the majority of my time with immigrant friends who had next to nothing compared to my life at home, but their friendship and company were all I needed. I have stayed in contact with a few of my friends over the years.
A coconut water stand outside of Manuel Antonio National Park in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
When I came home, I realized I had enough credits to graduate a semester early! This was a welcomed surprise, but one of my classes was only offered in the fall and was a prerequisite for student teaching. All that to say, I had to be in Keene for all of my senior year. But that's OK! I had already planned to study abroad again. Since I didn't need the credits, I decided to volunteer and teach English in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, Cartagena, Colombia, and Lima, Peru for six weeks each. I made a semester of volunteering using the skills I was learning in my majors. I also worked with my advisor to develop an independent study learning about the different dialects of coastal cultures. I collected data abroad via voice recording and did the reading and research in the fall of my senior year. This replaced my senior seminar so I only had student teaching in the spring. I graduated from Keene State in May 2019 and moved to Costa Rica three days after graduation.
I don't know this man. He was walking down the street and saw me taking pictures of buildings. I took his picture and then he walked away. It's my favorite picture that I've taken so far.
TEACHING
I moved home from Costa Rica in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. If it weren't for COVID, I would have stayed longer. But, like many others, my life was drastically changed. Luckily, I applied for a teaching job and got it! So, coming home wasn't all that bad.
I really loved teaching. I adored my students. I loved making sure everyone felt safe and welcome in my classroom. I loved working with my colleagues on teaching methodology. I even did my Master's in Education online through Fitchburg State University. But hybrid teaching was tough. In my second year, my students and colleagues were amazing, but I burnt myself out. I did so much and reinvented the wheel too many times and I could not keep up with all that I wanted to do. I also decided to open Girasoles Photography as a side hustle and spent my weekends working on my business. On top of that, the powers that be just kept giving us more and more on top of an already overwhelming workload. I left teaching at the end of that school year and became an academic coach for college students.
2023
About eight months into my new job as an academic coach, I started getting sick. I did not (and still don't) know what was happening, but I couldn't keep down food. This spiraled and led me to malnutrition, neuropathy, and drop foot. I am still recovering, and I am making great progress! I will comment on this later, but I had to pause photography while I healed.
While in recovery, I got married to Andres. When I was officially covered by his insurance, I decided it was time to re-open my photography business, but now as a full-time job. Andres, dad, and my mom worked hard to partially finish our garage to make it a studio and office. It came out beautiful.
SO, WHO AM I?
I am a lot of things. First and foremost, I am a wife and a dog mom. I like to take walks with my family, cuddle my husband and my dog, and watch anime or comedy specials. Andres and I love escape rooms. We've done about six, and we are going to do more! I am an avid reader. I just joined a book club, and so far, the books have been incredible. I like lots of music: reggaeton, pop, indie, and even country if the time is right! My husband and I go to lots of concerts and shows; we enjoy a nice night out. I'm also a dancer! I have danced my whole life, from as long as I can remember. As an adult, I dance salsa, bachata, and merengue. I love going to parties where couples can dance and glide across the floor like it was rehearsed, even though it's not. It is a beautiful community, and I'm happy to be a part of it. I have a huge sweet tooth and could eat chocolate for every meal.
I have three large families: my mom's, stepmom's, and stepdad's. My dad's family is not as big. My mom and stepmom's families are huge Italian families, and we are super close. We have our "big, fat, Italian" Christmas party every year with all our extended family on my mom's side, and it is a blast. While I said this section is not photography, it is a massive part of my life. I really enjoy doing creative sessions where I take cool photos, and the model can take liberties to fully commit to getting the right picture. One creative session I did was called Feminine Rage, and the photos are coming soon!
I think that's everything! If you've stuck around this far, thank you for reading! I hope you got to know me better, and I can't wait to hear all about you!
