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America's Favorite Photos · Exposure Grant
Noe De La Cruz
I'm a Latino, Houston-based photographer who has recently been taking my photography seriously. Over the past year, I have been involved with a large running club and have shared my talents with the running community & brands that sponsor those clubs. My confidence then grew from there & I have now partnered with a non-profit organization known as Friends of El Salvador and share my work with them in support of their amazing mission and purpose.
Cuentos y Suenos Event in El Salvador
A community in El Salvador holding their drawing in the event of opening their new mini libraries.
The ribbon cutting of the mini libraries
2 High Schoolers from Houston who are cutting the ribbon to the mini library that they assembled themselves for the children.
A little Salvadorian girl holding a toy
Fleet Feet Running Club with Friends of El Salvador
Here we see a normal meet that happens at River Oaks in Houston where runners meet every Monday. These are the people who see the nonprofit and support with donations, books, and toys.
Feet Fleet Running Club Group Photo
This group photo showcases the diversity in Houston & how many would love to support Friends of El Salvador & their mission out in El Salvador.
River Oaks Run Club Running Out With Flags
This showcases the diversity again while they run out with flags representing their home countries.
The Story of the Photographer Who Never Knew
I first picked up a camera 8 years ago, while in college. I gained inspiration from YouTubers like Sam Kolder and many more. My goal was to just take cool photos when I travel in the future and post them on my Personal Social Media (https://www.instagram.com/yo.soy.noe/)
I didn't have the opportunity until I started my career and was able to travel freely in 2024. Here is where I invested in camera gear, a drone, and even a new MacBook for my editing efforts. I documented my travels & did it for fun, and people started liking my content. It wasn't really something I would consider for my future, going off and starting a business on.
Slowly, time started to get me out of my shell. In 2025, I started going to running clubs as a new social activity. My social circle was becoming tiring, & I wanted to meet new people with better goals in life. This had me active, but most of all, it challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. This then got me to the Sexy Pace Running Club, a huge running club in Houston. I saw their passion for running and their approach to the community, including the people who showed up. It was very welcoming at the time & it got me motivated to help them. I then volunteered to take drone shots for them, which then set my path in a new direction with Photography.
The Running Club Era
My efforts with Sexy Pace began to gain significant exposure. From the first day I flew my drone and posted videos, to just bringing my camera and shooting people on the go, it started to help me recognize my talents. I had people reposting over and over on stories, even on their Instagram posts. Tags, reshares, and kudos made me gain the confidence to shoot more and more every week when they met. I then became part of the team for that period. I was feeling great about my mission to support a Latino-owned community that included everyone in my age group. It was amazing while it lasted, and it built my portfolio to the point of having a strong footprint.
That's where FOTOS By NOE came to be. I started it as an Instagram Page so people could tag it rather than my personal account. But then it became a great platform for me to showcase my best shoots and even post video content I love making. Things seem to be long-term for the running club, and it got me on the page of a big Clothing Brand in Houston known as INAKA Power.
The Falling Out & Redirection
I soon went on my next big solo trip in the Summer of 2025, which was to Spain. I spent a good 3 weeks out there, experiencing, capturing, and taking in the culture. Soon after, I came back to have a meeting with the running club. I was told things I wouldn't agree with, and I would soon have to end my relationship with them. We just simply didn't see eye to eye with the agreement I had.
This made me refocus on my photography career & I thought hard on what I could do next. Running was all I knew to capture by this point while also having a ton of other things under my belt. But I wanted to branch out and see where to go next. I went around and helped other running clubs with content and photography. But that soon wasn't going to be the thing I do all the way. Until I discovered something that interested me at sMiles, another huge running club in Houston.
Friends of El Salvador, My Calling
A non-profit organization was always at the meets for sMiles on Wednesdays. They stood out to me because they were from the place my mother is from, El Salvador. I am super passionate about my roots and really wanted to have a way to contribute to them. That was the same with Sexy Pace, but this one was different.
I learned more about Friends of El Salvador and their purpose in what they do at the running club meets & in Houston as a whole. They do toy and book drives and fundraisers to deliver items to El Salvador. They then ask people to volunteer and help with their projects and workshops, which has built a huge community of Salvadorans who help monthly.
I was soon going to become one of them. I reached out to the director, got coffee with him, and talked to him about my history and my desire to help capture things for them. He then asked "How much would you charge?" and I said, "I mean if I did it for free for a run club, I would centernaily do it for free for a non-profit like yours."
He chuckled and said to me that he doesn't have anything in mind right now for me to shoot. Boy, was that going to change real quick. He invited me to their annual Gala at Post Houston and went to learn about their sponsors, volunteers, and programs. I was then hit by an offer from him, "We have Salvadorian Heritage Night Coming Up & we want you to shoot at the Dynamo Game!"
Yeah, things started to get rapid again. I went to the game, shot and edited this video of one of their board members, and started to get back to work again. This is where things started to fall into place & paved the way for where I am today with them.
The Here & Now
Who would've thought that just asking a question at a running club could start a new path for someone? Well, that's what I said in my 2025 farewell video.
As of recent, Friends of El Salvador has sent me out to El Salvador to photograph the first-ever mini libraries that they partnered up with 2 high schoolers from Houston who are in charge of Cuentos y Suenos. I've attached the photos, and I can also share the post we collaborated on.
This event was a major one for them, and I was happy to go and shoot for them, including this, but also for other photos I shot while I was out there. I went for a week! I shot the communities they support and am currently working on 2 major projects for them:
I first picked up a camera 8 years ago, while in college. I gained inspiration from YouTubers like Sam Kolder and many more. My goal was to just take cool photos when I travel in the future and post them on my Personal Social Media (https://www.instagram.com/yo.soy.noe/)
I didn't have the opportunity until I started my career and was able to travel freely in 2024. Here is where I invested in camera gear, a drone, and even a new MacBook for my editing efforts. I documented my travels & did it for fun, and people started liking my content. It wasn't really something I would consider for my future, going off and starting a business on.
Slowly, time started to get me out of my shell. In 2025, I started going to running clubs as a new social activity. My social circle was becoming tiring, & I wanted to meet new people with better goals in life. This had me active, but most of all, it challenged me to get out of my comfort zone. This then got me to the Sexy Pace Running Club, a huge running club in Houston. I saw their passion for running and their approach to the community, including the people who showed up. It was very welcoming at the time & it got me motivated to help them. I then volunteered to take drone shots for them, which then set my path in a new direction with Photography.
The Running Club Era
My efforts with Sexy Pace began to gain significant exposure. From the first day I flew my drone and posted videos, to just bringing my camera and shooting people on the go, it started to help me recognize my talents. I had people reposting over and over on stories, even on their Instagram posts. Tags, reshares, and kudos made me gain the confidence to shoot more and more every week when they met. I then became part of the team for that period. I was feeling great about my mission to support a Latino-owned community that included everyone in my age group. It was amazing while it lasted, and it built my portfolio to the point of having a strong footprint.
That's where FOTOS By NOE came to be. I started it as an Instagram Page so people could tag it rather than my personal account. But then it became a great platform for me to showcase my best shoots and even post video content I love making. Things seem to be long-term for the running club, and it got me on the page of a big Clothing Brand in Houston known as INAKA Power.
The Falling Out & Redirection
I soon went on my next big solo trip in the Summer of 2025, which was to Spain. I spent a good 3 weeks out there, experiencing, capturing, and taking in the culture. Soon after, I came back to have a meeting with the running club. I was told things I wouldn't agree with, and I would soon have to end my relationship with them. We just simply didn't see eye to eye with the agreement I had.
This made me refocus on my photography career & I thought hard on what I could do next. Running was all I knew to capture by this point while also having a ton of other things under my belt. But I wanted to branch out and see where to go next. I went around and helped other running clubs with content and photography. But that soon wasn't going to be the thing I do all the way. Until I discovered something that interested me at sMiles, another huge running club in Houston.
Friends of El Salvador, My Calling
A non-profit organization was always at the meets for sMiles on Wednesdays. They stood out to me because they were from the place my mother is from, El Salvador. I am super passionate about my roots and really wanted to have a way to contribute to them. That was the same with Sexy Pace, but this one was different.
I learned more about Friends of El Salvador and their purpose in what they do at the running club meets & in Houston as a whole. They do toy and book drives and fundraisers to deliver items to El Salvador. They then ask people to volunteer and help with their projects and workshops, which has built a huge community of Salvadorans who help monthly.
I was soon going to become one of them. I reached out to the director, got coffee with him, and talked to him about my history and my desire to help capture things for them. He then asked "How much would you charge?" and I said, "I mean if I did it for free for a run club, I would centernaily do it for free for a non-profit like yours."
He chuckled and said to me that he doesn't have anything in mind right now for me to shoot. Boy, was that going to change real quick. He invited me to their annual Gala at Post Houston and went to learn about their sponsors, volunteers, and programs. I was then hit by an offer from him, "We have Salvadorian Heritage Night Coming Up & we want you to shoot at the Dynamo Game!"
Yeah, things started to get rapid again. I went to the game, shot and edited this video of one of their board members, and started to get back to work again. This is where things started to fall into place & paved the way for where I am today with them.
The Here & Now
Who would've thought that just asking a question at a running club could start a new path for someone? Well, that's what I said in my 2025 farewell video.
As of recent, Friends of El Salvador has sent me out to El Salvador to photograph the first-ever mini libraries that they partnered up with 2 high schoolers from Houston who are in charge of Cuentos y Suenos. I've attached the photos, and I can also share the post we collaborated on.
This event was a major one for them, and I was happy to go and shoot for them, including this, but also for other photos I shot while I was out there. I went for a week! I shot the communities they support and am currently working on 2 major projects for them:
- An Art Gallery That Will Be Showcased During The World Cup at Tenfold.
- A Documentary of the Organization & Its Future
All this is unfolding in front of me, & my plate is super full just getting these things done for them. I am happy, though, about these opportunities, and extremely happy that it is I working with an organization that helps the country where my mother is from. As Summer approaches, I want to plan my documentary shoots and deliver all the photos I have from the trip. All this will showcase the communities, the impact of those communities, the volunteers who went, and, overall, how everyone here in Houston has gathered all these things to soon be given to people with less fortune out in El Salvador.
An eye-opening experience indeed, & I do want to grow more with them and my own photography business as I now advertise myself for people who just want photoshoots for their special occasions.
But as I continue my journey, I would love support with this. I have been doing it for free & I trust that everything will soon pay for itself over time. This grant could be one of those things that can help & it can supply me with more equipment for the future shoots I have coming up with the organization.
An eye-opening experience indeed, & I do want to grow more with them and my own photography business as I now advertise myself for people who just want photoshoots for their special occasions.
But as I continue my journey, I would love support with this. I have been doing it for free & I trust that everything will soon pay for itself over time. This grant could be one of those things that can help & it can supply me with more equipment for the future shoots I have coming up with the organization.