ST. LANDRY PARISH — For Andraya Boudreaux, teaching and photography were never competing paths — they grew side by side. She has spent more than a decade in the classroom, currently teaching low-incidence special needs pre-K students who are primarily nonverbal. While education became her career, photography remained a constant creative outlet, one that followed her through major milestones in her life.
“I always wanted to be a teacher, like when I was in kindergarten and we had dress up day I had like my hair in a bun with a pencil and like a ruler. But photography has always been a passion of mine like I was always the friend that took the pictures.”
Boudreaux teaches at Ossun Elementary School, where she has worked for 12 years. She began teaching first grade at Cankton Elementary School before transitioning into special education, a move she says reshaped how she connects with students and families.
“You are either born to be a special educator or you're not, like it is just something that is in you.”
Her photography career began during a turning point in her life — one that came with both celebration and an unexpected opportunity in 2018, “my husband on our wedding day, he gifted me with a professional camera and it kind of just started off from there” Boudreaux said.
As her family grew, so did her creative vision. During her first trimester of pregnancy, she and her husband renovated their one-bedroom loft. After welcoming another child, they moved into a larger home but kept the original space, eventually transforming it into Southern Acres Studio — now located in Opelousas.
“So this was a one bedroom loft that we were living in which was fine you know with one child but two, we definitely could’ve done it but it was like it’s probably time to get some more space.”
The studio still carries the feeling of a lived-in home, something Boudreaux says was intentional. Many of the items inside were collected over the years, giving clients a space that feels personal rather than staged.
“That’s really what a lot of this is, things that I’ve collected over the years. There's not much that I got new just for the studio because this is what it’d look like in my home.”
Her work in special education continues to influence her approach to photography, especially when it comes to creating meaningful experiences for families.
“So like to give a voiceless child a voice, a way to communicate in some fashion, it’s just something that is indescribable.”
Through Southern Acres Studio, Boudreaux focuses on capturing moments that last beyond the session itself, creating images meant to be held onto and shared.
“Giving someone a tangible memory that they can pass down for generations, that is something I’m passionate about.”
