About - Maria Del Río
I was born in Mexico. The exact city is debatable, but Mexico is certain. I grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where art runs through the veins like water through the arroyos. At 18, I moved to California on my own.
I knew I wanted to be a photographer. As a teenager, I couldn’t find a Mexican American female photographer to look up to, so I carved out my own place in the field.
Here I am.
My photography exists at the intersection of portraiture, documentary and fashion, acting as a container for the complexity of my own layered identities. I approach my photoshoots with deep prescence and curiosity. This perspective informs both my personal photography practice and my commercial campaign work.
I live in Oakland, California with my son and travel often for work and adventure. When I’m not photographing, I’m in the forest, reading three books at once, or volunteering as a CASA advocate for teenage foster youth. Community and social equity are central to my life and work.
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Member of Diversify Photo, Women Photograph, and Authority Collective. Advisory Board member for San Francisco City College Photography Department.
SELECT CLIENTS
Vogue Ukraine
California Department of Public Health
Atmos Magazine
The New York Times
Kamperett
Everlane
Burt’s Bees
Monks Ad Agency
San Francisco Opera
Target
Gap
J.Crew
Freda Salvador
Sephora
Method
Athleta
Marie Claire Magazine
Kinship
Keds
Nylon Magazine