I'm Florika—the person behind Florenza Portrait Studio. Florenza is what my grandmother used to call me—someone whose love, and whose photographs, shaped so much of why I do this today.

Some of my earliest memories are of sitting with her, flipping through photo albums, completely captivated. Images from decades before I was born somehow made me feel like I was there with them—the laughter, the hair and clothing styles, the people she loved in a time I never got to experience myself.

That feeling stayed with me. Later, in high school, I found it again in the darkroom of my Photography 101 class. Watching images slowly come to life, knowing I could preserve something real—something that would last—fascinated me. I started carrying a camera everywhere, capturing friends, gatherings, anything that felt worth holding onto. Before long, I had boxes filled with photographs.

But it wasn't until I became a mother that it all truly deepened. Time began to feel different. The days felt long, but the years moved quickly—and I found myself wanting to hold onto everything. The little things, the in-between moments, the stages that pass before you're ready to let them go.

Photography, for me, is a way of returning to those moments. Through my family and portrait photography, I focus on preserving not just how life looks, but how it feels—so you can come back to it, even years later. 

If you're looking for a Rochester, NY photographer to capture your family's story in a natural, meaningful way, I'd love to connect.

Image captured by Diana Kapatos Photography