We recently connected with Luciana Golcman and have shared our conversation below.
Luciana, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I think resilience has always been a part of who I am. Growing up in Brazil, I was one of the top students in school. My path seemed very clear back then: I worked hard to get into the best high schools, all to secure a spot in one of the top colleges to study medicine. But at the last minute, I had this gut feeling that I needed to switch gears. So, I pivoted and decided to pursue marketing and advertising instead. I set my mind to it and got into the best Advertising college in Brazil.
I graduated and landed a job as a junior art director at one of the best ad agencies in the country. It was intense—long hours, working through the night, leaving in the morning to catch some sleep. But it was also a lot of fun. The lifestyle of advertising made it exciting. That said, even though I enjoyed the work, I always felt like something was missing.
Looking back, resilience has always been tied to my ability to set goals and work hard to achieve them. In school, it was about excelling academically. Later, it was about finding things that connected to my heart, like volunteering at a school for kids with Down syndrome. I also taught English to small kids in Brazil to earn some extra money, which helped me save for other dreams, like traveling. I love traveling and seeing the world and other cultures help shape who I am. I finish a trip planning the next.
One of the boldest moves I made was backpacking through Europe with no return ticket, determined to land an internship at a top ad agency in Barcelona. It was a dream of mine to live in Barcelona so I had to make it happen. Halfway through the trip, my backpack was stolen, which was a huge setback. But I kept going. I made it to Barcelona and got the unpaid internship I had been dreaming of. Those six months were some of the best of my life.
When I returned to Brazil, I continued working in advertising. It was fun, but again, not fulfilling. Around this time, I met my now-husband. After about a year of dating, he was offered a temporary transfer to New York City. I didn’t want him to miss out on the opportunity, but I also didn’t want to lose him. So, I told him to go, and I’d find a way to join him. That’s when I leaned into what my dad always says about me: “She’s the one who makes it happen.”
I sent my portfolio to countless agencies in the U.S., fully aware of how hard it was to get a work visa. But after six months of persistence, I landed a job at a New York agency willing to sponsor me. It wasn’t glamorous—the salary was low, and the visa was temporary—but I made it happen. Over the next few years, I worked at different agencies and earned a Green Card. I liked NYC, so I had to find a way to stay here while finding my passion. I enjoyed the lifestyle and the travel that came with filming commercials, but deep down, I knew advertising wasn’t my calling.
On the side, I started taking photography classes as a hobby. I’ve always loved kids and photography, and this felt like something that truly resonated with me. One day, after a particularly bad day at work, I quit. Just like that. I went home and told my husband and family I was going to start a photography business. They were shocked but supportive because they knew I was determined. And when I’m determined I make things happen.
I reached out to established photographers, asked them out for coffee, and learned everything I could about the business. I started small, shooting for Time Out New York, which didn’t pay much but gave me incredible experiences. Little by little I built trust, and word-of-mouth helped my business grow.
Finding my passion and building a career around it didn’t happen overnight. It was a mix of determination, adaptability, and hard work. But when I set my mind to something that’s what I do. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I don’t just sit back and let life happen. If I want something, I’ll find a way myself to make it happen.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I own Luciana Golcman Photography, a business dedicated to capturing Newborns, Maternity, Families, and Cake Smashes. When I first started working with photography, I thought I was creating a new genre: Children Photography. That was silly, I know! I was so new to the field that I didn’t realize it was already a big and established niche. What drew me in was the purity and innocence of children—their unfiltered emotions and candid moments.
In the beginning, I’d go to the zoo to photograph animals. I created amazing portraits of animas, especially baboons (that even landed me a feature in a magazine). But every so often, my lens would drift toward the kids watching the animals. One of my favorite photos ever was taken at the zoo—a little girl with tears in her eyes from the cold but a spark of wonder lighting up her face. I didn’t realize at the time that photographing kids without permission might not be appropriate, but that image stuck with me and is still in my portfolio. I wonder who that girl is now; she’s probably 16 or 17 years old.
Kids and babies are where my heart lies. There’s nothing quite like capturing the genuine smile of a baby under two years old. Unlike older kids or adults who can pose on demand, babies give you real, unfiltered joy. If you could see my face when I’m working, you’d notice that behind the camera I’m smiling just as big as they are because their happiness is contagious.
Posing newborns is another aspect of my work that fills me with a sense of accomplishment. These tiny, flexible babies require so much care and technique to keep them comfortable and peaceful while achieving those perfect poses. Each mastered pose feels like a small victory and a moment of pride. That feeling never gets old; it warms my heart every single time.
My work doesn’t include engagements, weddings, or couples. For me, there needs to be a connection to children—that’s where my passion lies. The only exception is maternity sessions, where I capture the profound bond between a mother and her unborn child. It’s as genuine and heartfelt as a baby’s smile, and that’s why I love it.
What excites me most about my work – and what sets me apart from the many photographers in NYC – is the love and detail I pour into every session. My business grew quickly, largely through word of mouth and without any advertising investment. Today, I rank first on Google for Cake Smashes and appear on the first page for Newborn Photography with the other genres close behind. I believe that when you really put your heart into something, you’ll always find a way to make it work.
What sets my work apart is my commitment to perfection. I pay close attention to every detail, from the planning to the session itself to post-production. For example, I always perform head swaps in images to ensure every family member looks their best in a scene. My clients never see the raw proofs, so they don’t even realize what goes into creating the final images. But they love what they see. I shoot with this in mind, ensuring I have all the elements needed to craft a flawless composition.
My style is minimalist, focusing on light and shadow to create timeless art. The only exception is Cake Smash sessions, where I embrace a more maximalist approach. A child’s first birthday deserves a magical scene as special as they are, and I love crafting something truly special for each little one.
Photography is more than a career for me; it’s my passion. It’s the joy of working with children, the pride in perfecting every image, and the fulfillment of capturing the perfect work of art in memories that the families will cherish forever.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Reflecting on my journey, I feel like the most impactful qualities were: resilience/determination
(facing challenges head-on and making things happen and seizing opportunities); adaptability/self-learning (adapting to new environments and challenges and learning on the side while still keeping life going) and the passion and attention to detail.
The advice I would give to people on their early journey is to find their passion. Because no matter how good you are at something, if it doesn’t connect to your heart you will never give it 100%. Once you find it, use your time wisely to try to learn as much as you can before jumping in. We all know that passion doesn’t put food on the table, you need education and experience. So take your time as much as you can to perfect and learn and then just pour your heart in what makes you happy.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was always supporting my passions, no matter what they were. Nothing in my life was handed to me on a silver platter, but I was fortunate enough to grow up in a comfortable environment where my parents could afford to nurture my dreams. More importantly, they were kind enough to believe in me and let me forge my own path.
My dad is a doctor, which likely inspired my initial goal to go into medicine. My mom worked in advertising, and perhaps that, too, influenced my going into that field. But they never pushed me in any direction or tried to interfere with my decisions. They were genuinely happy as long as I pursued whatever I chose with dedication and integrity.
When I wanted to backpack through Europe with no return ticket, they thought it was a long shot to land an internship, but they gave me their blessing. And when I decided to pursue the almost impossible task to find a job opportunity in New York, with a boyfriend they didn’t know very well, they gave me the confidence to try.
Their support gave me the freedom to chase my dreams, no matter how crazy or challenging they seemed. Growing up with that kind of belief in me was everything I needed to find my true self and my journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lucianagolcman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucianagolcmanphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LucianaGolcmanPhotography
Image Credits
© 2025 Luciana Golcman Photography, LLC
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