Meet Grace Carrillo | Photographer & Licensed Massage Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Grace Carrillo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Grace, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I first started dabbling in photography in 2015 with nothing but my iPhone 5c (throwback!) and a raw desire to memorialize little moments and feelings that surrounded whatever scenery I chose. This continued for about a year, and it was in this time period that at the suggestion of my sister, I started an Instagram account to share these photos along with writing. Only a few months into doing so, I had gained a solid little community of friends, some of whom I still talk to today, because something about my work, however inexperienced and unprofessional, seemed to mean something to them in addition to just me. In 2016, I got my first camera from a dear friend/mentor who used to be a photographer, but no longer used it and wanted to see me grow in it. At the time, I was silently battling mental illness that caused a lot of difficulty in my day to day life, and also left me without a social circle or community. I wanted to take portraits, but because of where I was in my life, didn’t really have a bunch of people with which to do so. Improvising, I started doing self portraits, and I quickly fell in love with my little process. I’d randomly be struck with inspiration – usually from a lyric, something I was dealing with personally, or Scripture, and I’d pack up my tripod, camera, and often some sort of FX makeup, black paint, or any number of props, and drive to my spot which was usually a dark parking garage or secluded forest. I’d listen to music, get my settings right, get into whatever vibe I was trying to portray, and go to work with the self timer. At the time, it was my biggest outlet – it was a healthy way to express my inner thoughts and emotions. Needless to say, all these portraits were extremely dark; whether visually, in their meaning, or both. To my surprise, they seemed to mean just as much to my few loyal followers as hey did to me, and I realized a truth that I still live by today: there is power in one’s personal experiences, and even MORE power when those experiences are shared with others in moments, or better yet, in a lifestyle of vulnerability and openness. The the good, bad, ugly, and downright devastating…all the spectrum of human emotion and experience means nothing if it is experienced by an individual in a moment, then no action comes from it. That’s not how we’re wired, so it’s no wonder we cause all sorts of emotional and physical distress when we try to numb, ignore, and disregard things in life that affect us deeply…in essence, pretending alcohol poured over a deep cut causes no pain. There is POWER in not merely telling someone “you’re not alone”, but rather sharing your OWN story to prove it to them. There is POWER in not merely saying “I understand how you feel”, but rather divulging your past and what you’ve grown from and been brought out of in order to show where you’ve been as opposed to where you are now; to prove that there is HOPE.
Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep

Galatians 6:2

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

The end of 2017/beginning of 2018 is when I sought help and support for my worsening mental state. Though I’m by no means free from such, it is managed well and has become something that I see as a gift – though I would take it away if I could, though I never would have chosen it for myself, my history of dealing with my own mental illness has enabled me to deeply sympathize with and help many people who I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. It’s a testament to how far I’ve come, how much God turned pain and fear into a catalyst for community, joy, and hope. In 2018, I began shooting sessions here and there for family and friends, and shot my first wedding. My hobby continued to grow in demand, so I decided it’s time to make a name, start making this real. My business name Phortres is borne out of my core reasons for doing what I do:

1. As a personal outlet and expression for the innermost feelings that I couldn’t find any other way to express…this was the first reason.

2. To serve and help others – whether through sympathizing with them and showing they’re not alone (as it was at the start), to loving them well through how I conduct my sessions, business practices, etc.

3. To glorify God by using this tool for good, by using it to show His providence and grace in my own life, and by loving others well.

The reasons have morphed and there has been a great evolution in not only my inspiration, but also the style and method of my work. But at the core of it all, I do photography for three reasons, por tres razones, por tres.
That’s how Phortres was born.

What started with creating moody self portraits has become capturing families’ stories from engagement to wedding to children being born; what started with taking photos in isolation became a passion for working WITH and FOR people in my utmost capacity.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I never imagined I would create a business out of what started so small, personal, and seemingly unimportant. But God had other plans, and I intend to keep running after them.


If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
MUST VISIT restaurants would include Velvet Taco, Liberty Burger, and Chuy’s.

MUST VISIT coffee shops would include The Modern Well and Watermark Coffee – the two places I’ve edited countless galleries, spent hours studying and working, and have built the most incredible connections and friendships.

MUST VISIT locations would include a bunch of random alleys, parking garages, and fields…because those are my jam.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I’ve got to thank Brian Zerangue – the man who gifted me my first camera, the one I shot my first wedding with, the one I still use to this day. You gave me the means to continue growing in my craft, and your generosity has meant the world to me.

I want to also thank my family for always supporting my work, in whatever form it took…even the really creepy and weird shoots that I used to do that I’m sure were somewhat disconcerting LOL. Especially my mom who for YEARS would excitedly wait for me to be done with a gallery so she could see the photos.

To my fiance: thank you for spurring me on and helping me so much in specifically the business aspects; telling me things I don’t WANT to hear but NEED to hear, and being my biggest cheerleader…as well as the one who rubs my feet after those long wedding hours.

To my dear clients: you made a dream possible, and I still marvel at the fact that I’m able to do what I love with all my heart as a job. I’m blown away and honored every time you trust me to capture the most raw, special, and beautiful parts of your lives.

I was deep into my Twenty One Pilots phase when I started taking photos, and in fact their music was often the inspiration for photos. So, I want to thank them for being part of my beginnings, and for this quote:

“Don’t give up. Push through the droughts. Channel the inevitable disappointments back into your craft. Break molds. Think. Create. But most importantly, stay alive. And in the meantime, make it about others. That seems to work. Stay strong. Live on. And power to the local dreamer”

Thanks be to God for turning brokenness into beauty.

Website: https://www.phortres.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phortres/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phortres