Meet Kay Saleh and Therese Riza-Lawrence | Portrait and Event Photographers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kay Saleh and Therese Riza-Lawrence and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kay Saleh and Therese Riza-Lawrence, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The decision to start our own photography business was deeply rooted in our shared passion for photography and a desire to pursue a lifelong interest that had been simmering for years. As college friends who had both spent nearly a decade honing our skills in our respective careers, we reached a point where we felt compelled to channel our talents into something more personally fulfilling.

Our journey into entrepreneurship was a natural progression fueled by our mutual love for photography and a shared vision of creating memorable experiences for our clients. We find immeasurable joy in capturing other’s best moments. Our ability to bring out the beauty within others by providing space for people to be their authentic selves in a relaxed, humorous environment has become our signature style, reflecting our personalities and allowing us to forge genuine connections with our clients.

The prospect of building something together as friends added an extra layer of excitement and motivation to our decision. Overall, we’d say the decision to start our own photography business was driven by our shared love for photography, a desire to make others feel their best, and a recognition of the potential to turn our passion into a rewarding career. It was a culmination of years of dedication, experience, and friendship, paving the way for this new chapter filled with creativity, fulfillment, and endless possibilities.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Ariza Photography specializes in both portraiture and event photography in the metro Atlanta area. We are a duo who met 14 years ago living on the same hallway at Russell Hall as freshmen at the University of Georgia. Therese obtained a degree in broadcast journalism and has spent many years working as a special education specialist; Kay obtained a degree in psychology and has spent many years working in the mental health field. Our backgrounds in the human services fields infuse our photography with a uniquely personal perspective. What truly sets us apart is our ability to connect with people on a deeper level, drawing out their authentic selves to create stunning images that they truly feel great about. What excites us most is the opportunity to celebrate life event after life event with clients, such as going from capturing a proposal, to a maternity shoot, to first birthday photos!

Our journey like any journey hasn’t been without challenges. Balancing our full-time careers, marriages, and raising young children has absolutely been testing. Thankfully, photography doesn’t feel like a job for us—it’s an escape and a source of fuel that enriches every aspect of our lives.

At the core of Ariza Photography is the belief that pictures are more than just images—they’re tangible proof that we’re here, they tell our stories, and they preserve the beauty of what is most important to us. We truly believe investing in professional photography is invaluable as it ensures that your memories are preserved in the most beautiful, timeless and meaningful way you are able cherish for years to come.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of our favorite pastimes as close friends is trying all the brunch spots Atlanta has to offer. You can’t come to Atlanta without hitting up three or four brunch spots. Some of our faves include: West Egg Cafe, Buttermilk Kitchen, Toast, South City Kitchen, and Biltong Bar!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Hands down, we both want to give a big shoutout to our husbands! They have been the absolute MVPs. Both of them have been cheering us on and pushing us to chase our dreams before we even officially started our business. They make countless sacrifices to ensure that we have the time and space to focus on building Ariza Photography. Despite having their own careers, responsibilities, and hobbies they have never hesitated to step in to assist and take on more household management and childcare duties for our toddlers, allowing us the freedom to pursue our endeavors without feeling guilty or overwhelmed. We’re beyond grateful for their love, encouragement, and all the little things they do to make our lives easier. So, here’s to our amazing husbands—thanks for being our ride-or-die partners, our biggest supporters, and our rocks through it all. We couldn’t do it without you!

Website: arizaphotography.com

Instagram: instagram.com/arizaphotography.atl

Image Credits
Ariza Photography