I’M A PHOTOGRAPHER BASED IN southern california.

“Photography and music have been passions of mine since a very young age and have played important parts of my life. Coming from a background of musicians, and my partner also being a drummer and always my main support, I’m so blessed to be able to incorporate both into one. There’s nothing more fulfilling than being able to do both things you love, and to showcase individuals who make art that matters.”

-SONJA

Malesa “Molly” Alvarez, professionally known as Sonja, is a Southern California-based photographer with a passion for music, documentary, and lifestyle photography. While Malesa is her given name, she has gone by Molly since birth, and Sonja has become the creative name behind her photography and artistic work.

Fascinated by photography and art from an early age, she began exploring the craft at 16 when she studied film photography at East Los Angeles College.

In 2021, she began dating Matt Peterson, a drummer, producer, and writer for The Dares and The Hashi. Tagging along to his shows, camera in hand, introduced her to the world of live music photography. What began as simply documenting the performances soon became a passion of its own.

Since then, her work has grown beyond concert photography to include documentary, lifestyle, portraits, couples, events, and other creative projects.

Outside of photography, she runs her own independent music publication, bringing together her love of photography, music, writing, and the creative community. Through the publication, she has covered artists, live performances, festivals, and events while creating a space for musicians, photographers, writers, and other creatives to share their work.

Whether documenting an artist on stage, a couple sharing a quiet moment, a special event, or a personal story, her goal remains the same: to create photographs that feel honest, timeless, and meaningful—images that allow people to remember not only what a moment looked like, but what it felt like.