Meet Alina Delfino

We recently connected with Alina Delfino and have shared our conversation below.

Alina, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I’ve always loved photography, but I never thought I could make a living from it. While studying at university, I looked for part-time jobs to support myself and tried different fields — I did manicures and makeup, and even taught music (I play the guitar). Then one day, photography unexpectedly came into my life.

I enjoyed participating in creative shoots as a model for photographers, simply because I loved being photographed. One day, I received the raw files from a shoot and tried editing them in Lightroom, even though I had zero experience with the software. I gave it a shot, loved the process, and thought — why not try photography myself?

From there, it felt like I was carried by the flow. Interesting connections started to come my way, my personal brand began to grow, and eventually, I moved to the U.S., where I met my husband. Meeting him was a turning point for me. It inspired me to shift from fashion shoots to photographing couples and weddings. I wanted to capture real love stories, and I realized how meaningful it was.

I believe that photographing weddings is truly a calling — it’s something you can only do with love because it’s not easy work. What warms my heart the most is knowing that through my photographs, I’m preserving the family histories of individual people. Years from now, their grandchildren or great-grandchildren will look at these photos and say, “Wow, my grandmother was so beautiful in this dress!”

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

What’s really important to me in my work is making sure people have a comfortable and enjoyable experience. I’ve always loved connecting with others, and there’s nothing better than bringing joy to someone — it makes me genuinely happy.

From the very beginning of my photography journey, I’ve focused on turning photoshoots into something fun, memorable, and maybe even a little unique. Honestly, I just wanted to be a professional “third wheel.” My goal has always been to capture real emotions and help people feel at ease in front of the camera. I want them to open up, have fun, and leave the session feeling like they just had an amazing date. And of course, they’d also get photos that truly reflect their connection and emotions.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe there are three key skills that have helped me the most on my journey: communication skills, technical skills — like knowing how to use a camera, working with professional photography software, and more — and understanding how to build a personal brand.

The advice I’d give to someone just starting out in this field is to develop both your photography skills and your communication skills at the same time, not just one thing. The first will help you create photos that you and your clients will love. The second will help you provide high-quality service and market yourself effectively.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

The biggest area of growth or improvement for me over the past 12 months has been learning automation strategies and partially delegating operational, tedious tasks. For example, in the past year, I implemented a CRM system in my business. It allows me to keep all client information in one place — everything from their preferences and inspiration shots they send during the planning process to contracts, payment schedules, and more.

Setting up the system took a lot of time, but now I can’t imagine how I managed my business without it before. I use a CRM called Studio Ninja (specifically designed for photographers), though I know other photographers like Dubsado and Honeybook. Either way, if you want your photography to pay for your living, you have to treat it like a business, that’s what I’ve learned.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alinadelfinowedding.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alinadelfino/