Backed by nearly a decade of expertise, Tiffany Yvette Ayala is an independent, entrepreneurial photographer and cinematographer specializing in street and culture photography. Honored to be able to tell stories through a lens, she is particularly focused on expressing her Mexican heritage in her art, and she avidly works across multiple media arenas, including television.
Among her current professional endeavors, Ms. Ayala has served as a photographer and cinematographer through her eponymously named firm, Tiffany Y. Ayala, for the past seven years. In addition, she has been a technical assistant for the New York Film Academy since 2015 and a cinematographer for Dearth Production since 2014. To remain abreast of advancements and updates within her industry, she maintains affiliation with the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600 and the Journalism Association.
Ms. Ayala’s background in media includes numerous top-tier projects, including her work as a production assistant for the game show “To Tell The Truth” and the hit network television show “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2016. Between 2014 and 2016, she served as a camera operator for the projects “A Chance for Trust,” “Selfie: The Documentary” and “How to Build Everything” in Los Angeles, as well as “The Real Future” in San Diego. In addition, Ms. Ayala was a cinematographer for “Unlimited Pilot” in 2014.
Numerous commendations have marked Ms. Ayala’s professional and creative success, including an award from the Journalism Association in 2012. She attributes her success to hard work and commitment to revealing diverse dimensions of the world by open-mindedly sharing narratives through others’ eyes. Looking toward the future, Ms. Ayala’s vision for the future includes finishing her highly anticipated documentary project and showcasing it at multiple film festivals. Ultimately, she hopes to win an Emmy Award for her documentary.
With a comprehensive academic background, Ms. Ayala earned an associate degree in telemedia from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, California, in 2011. In addition, she conducted studies in kinesiology and exercise science at San Diego State University from 2005 to 2007 and undertook coursework in the cinema and television arts program at California State University, Northridge between 2011 and 2014. Utilizing the foundations of her studies, she feels grateful to be able to pursue her childhood dream each day.
Hailing from a family of medical professionals, Ms. Ayala had initially felt inspired by the work of her mother, a dentist, and her uncle, a physician. As she explored a path for herself within health care, she discovered her itch for photography and chose to put her medical studies on hold. Before delving into her career in media, she gained experience as an assistant manager at Cold Stone Creamery from 2007 to 2011 and as an assistant referee for San Diego Indoor Soccer from 2005 to 2007.
Ms. Ayala advises those aspiring to break into her field to never give up. Despite it being a tough industry to break into, with talent, passion and hard work, it is a possible and fulfilling career. She also cites the importance of working with mentors and sticking with your fellow women in a male-dominated industry. A distinguished Marquis listee, Ms. Ayala enjoys playing soccer and rugby in her spare time. She currently resides in San Diego, California.
