Photographer Theresa Balderas gets asked what kind of camera she uses more than what inspires the humanity of her captured photographs.
The camera does not make the photographer, Balderas shows her talent as she is able to capture impactful images of Paty Cortáza, now 8 years old, who lived in Balderas family run orphanage in Mexico.
The process of capturing not just Cortáza, but being able to covey the ideas Cortáza was a challenge since many of the ideas were broad.
“As a photographer you are given this opportunity to show your personal point of view,” Balderas said. “The fact that Disney chose me, to relay a story that I was familiar with and inspired me, to possibly inspire other girls, it’s a dream come true.”Balderas mother supported her interest in photography. Her mother having been a photographer and given it up to pursue other endeavors was thrilled when Balderas started to get noticed as a photographer.
“My mom is super proud of me,” Balderas said.Balsera said her mother thinks that with her success she has taken her talent to the next level.
“I hope that girls can be inspired by the story of me as a photographer and knowing they can do whatever they want just by believing in themselves, that’s the most important thing” Balderas said.Not only is believing in yourself important to Balderas but she believes a person should know what they want, fight for what they want and practice for what they want so they can always keep improving.
“It’s been a privilege this whole year that I’ve been working on this project,” Balderas said. “Since the moment that Disney contacted me, putting the whole project together, it’s been a great experience.”Disney’s series of empowering #DreamBigPrincess photographs will be on display as an exhibit at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City through the first week of January in collaboration with Girl Up and UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund.
The images captured by nineteen female photographers from fifteen countries showcase the inspiring stories of real-world girls and women, as part of Disney’s Dream Big, Princess initiative launched in 2016, which taps into the power of Disney Princess stories to encourage kids to follow their dreams.
