Gia SantolallaOn Christmas Day, 11-year-old Lorena unwrapped a lime green Casio digital camera from under the tree. Her oldest sister finally gave her a camera, after Alvarez had begged her for one.
Alvarez’s joy of flipping through photo books led to her receiving her first camera. She took her camera to school every day to capture middle school dances and sports games.
“Not many people remember their childhood, but luckily I can remember certain parts of when I was three or four, and photography has something to do with that,” Alvarez said. “One of my favorite activities to do as a kid was look through our family photo albums.”
At home, her mother was the “record keeper” of the family. “She would capture everything, even the mundane,” said Alvarez. “Her photography and design style really inspired me, as well as her attention to detail.”
At school, she gained a reputation as “the girl in yearbook.” “It’s funny, because sometimes, I’ll run into people at SAC from high school,” said Alvarez. “They may not know who I am, but I remember photographing them.”
After being accepted to the University of Santa Barbara as an English major, Alvarez plunged headfirst into Hollywood’s film and music photography scenes.
In downtown Santa Barbara in 2018, Alvarez clutched her camera under her arm and headed to SoHo Restaurant & Music Club, a popular hangout spot for college students. Her friendly connection with The Red Pears, an all Latino indie band, gave her the opportunity to photograph them as the opening band at her very first concert.
She also just so happened to catch a photo of María Zardoya, the lead singer of The Marías, singing to a partially filled audience.
Four years later, at the Lodge Room in Los Angeles, Alvarez captured Zardoya crowd surfing while singing their hit song “Cariño”. Now, seven years later, the band has been nominated for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
“I remember being in the crowd, I’m 5-foot-3, it’s packed and I’m barely able to lift up my arm to take photos,” said Alvarez. “That’s where I realized, like, oh crap, I’m doing something cool here. It’s just crazy how big they got. I knew it was going to happen.”
During her senior year at UCSB, Alvarez and Chicano/Latinx students protested against the demolition of El Centro, a cultural center with a deep connection to the Chicano movement, which was threatened due to severe termite damage.
Through activism, Alvarez met Ana Barba, a current Chicano studies professor at Santiago Canyon College. Barba and Alvarez’s friendship emerged from discussions about social justice and shared experiences of protesting side by side.
Barba expressed that Alvarez’s actions, activism and lifestyle have always been connected to her goal of uplifting her Latino community beyond UCSB.
Barba said, “You can tell she has a goal and a vision. Her work at the transfer center and in photography both reflect her identity.” Alvarez believes that struggling as a first-generation college student isn’t a sign of weakness and aims to boost students’ confidence. “Lorena doesn’t expect you to already know what you want. She approaches it as, let me show you what’s possible,” said Barba.
In 2018, Alvarez earned her Bachelor of Arts in English, and stayed focused on her goal of pursuing a higher education at University of California, Riverside.
“I got my master’s in higher education administration in 2022 and then I had a goal of working at a community college,” said Alvarez. “A couple months later, I landed my next dream job and got the gig at SAC, August of 2023. So now I get to help students.”
Outside of photography, Alvarez helps Santa Ana College students transfer to 4-year schools.
“She helps students calm those fears and anxieties related to going away to school, or finances related to education. So she provides a lot of insight and guidance,” said Leo Pastrana, Transfer Center Coordinator. “Students describe her as being very relatable. It’s almost like you’re chatting with your cool older sister.”
She received a call from a friend, announcing that she had gotten a job photographing at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and working as a college advisor.
“While getting trained to help high school students in the college application process, in the evening I was going to the film festival in Hollywood,” said Alvarez.
At 23, she was shooting on the red carpet and was a personal photographer for Hispanic Hollywood celebrities.
“One of my tasks for a day was to follow Edward James Olmos, the teacher in Stand and Deliver and Selena’s dad in Selena. I also got to take photos of the On My Block cast,” Alvarez stated. “The person that had me starstruck, was seeing Esai Morales, Ritchie Valens’ brother in La Bamba.”
Alvarez was not just observing from the sidelines; she actively engaged with and represented the Latino community.
Along with Hollywood actors, she photographed comedians and shows, all focused on Latino culture.
Alvarez recognized a gender-bias barrier within the photography scene. She expressed, “Latino photographers that make it tend to be Latino men. And other than being Latino, I don’t resonate with them in any other way.”
She recalled meeting an OC photographer she admired for highlighting Latino identity, but was disappointed when she asked, “How do you navigate the photography landscape as a Latino?” and he replied, “I don’t think about being Latino. That’s not something I carry with me when I’m taking photos.”
“Wack!” Alvarez exclaimed, “because a lot of his work was centered around latinidad.” Looking back, she now sees this moment as the “catalyst” to capturing Latino hardships and culture on her own terms.
Alvarez has been immersing herself in “Latino indie [culture] ever since it started to grow.” And focus the camera on Latin artists within a landscape dominated by white artists.
At one point in her life, she thought she had to choose between one career or the other. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to.
“I grew up in Santa Ana. This is my community. I love helping students at SAC and being a freelance photographer. I’m happy here, and I want to stay here.”
