Phillip Flores founded Down for Smiles in honor of his daughter, Isabel Grace, turning a painful prenatal experience into a national mission of celebration, dignity and joy.
A mission born from love
HUNTSVILLE, Texas. For Phillip Flores, the mission began with his daughter.
Her name is Isabel Grace, and her life has become the center of a nonprofit effort that is helping families across the country see their loved ones in a new light.
Flores, a Huntsville native, is the founder of Isabel Grace Photography and the mission behind Down for Smiles, a 501(c)(3) effort dedicated to providing free professional photo and video experiences for families in the Down syndrome community.
The work is personal. It is also purposeful.
Flores said the idea grew from one of the hardest moments of his life, when he and Isabel's mother received a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Instead of feeling celebrated, he said they were handed information about termination.
“Instead of congratulations from the nursing staff and the doctors, it was here’s pamphlets on ways to terminate,” Flores said. “It was a horrid, horrid experience.”
That moment became a turning point.
“That sparked me up and made me want to start shining a different light on people with Down syndrome,” Flores said.
Named for Isabel Grace
Flores was born and raised in Huntsville and later spent about five years in Austin while Isabel attended an inclusive school. Family matters eventually brought him back home, where he continued growing his photography and production work.
Before Down for Smiles became a larger mission, Flores started Isabel Grace Photography in his daughter’s name.
“When I first started photography and I wanted to start my own company and career, I truly did feel like it was a calling of God upon me,” Flores said.
Naming the company after Isabel gave the work a deeper meaning.
“I started Isabel Grace Photography in her name,” Flores said. “So that way if should I ever make it big, I knew I would never fail because otherwise I failed her name.”
For Flores, success has never been just about building a business. It has been about honoring his daughter and pointing the attention back to her story.
“If I ever did make it big, whatever that means, it would all have been done in her name and in her honor,” Flores said.
Showing families what the world should see
Down for Smiles describes its mission as sharing “the joy, beauty, and ability within the Down Syndrome community through free professional photos and videos by fundraising efforts.”
The organization’s website says it is “a place where free really means free,” with a goal of creating an entire experience for families, not just a photo session.
Flores said the heart of the mission is simple: tell the stories of families who deserve to be seen, celebrated and valued.
“I figured that I’ve grown to the point in my photography career that I do believe that I can shine an appropriate and a beautifully painted light on these individuals,” Flores said.
He began by giving away free photo shoots to families with children or loved ones who have Down syndrome. Over time, the effort grew far beyond Huntsville.
“I started giving away free photo shoots to families with Down syndrome just to help tell their stories and get them out there into a spotlight,” Flores said.
Flores said the mission has taken him to more than 20 states and has reached families and supporters around the world.
“I think we’ve traveled to 20 to 26 different states,” Flores said. “The mission has made its way around to 13 different countries around the world.”
He does not plan to stop.
“I don’t really foresee me quitting this at all,” Flores said.
A community too often left in the shadows
Flores said the families he serves often carry stories that have not been given the attention they deserve.
“This community is all too often living in the shadows and hidden there,” Flores said. “It’s been that way for decades.”
The work, he said, is not only about creating beautiful images. It is about giving families a moment where their loved one is the focus, the celebration and the reason everyone showed up.
“The look in their parents’ and their mother’s faces is irreplaceable,” Flores said. “You can’t buy that look.”
Flores said every family experience begins with relationship. Before he arrives with a camera, he gets to know the family, hears their story and builds trust.
“I make contact with the families and build a relationship and a rapport with them because I want to get to know them,” Flores said.
A typical trip includes travel, time with the family, prayer and a full day dedicated to capturing photos and video. The process is designed to be simple for the families.
“It’s very hands-off, very stress-free,” Flores said. “You just sit there and smile. We’re coming.”
The power of Isabel’s joy
For Flores, Isabel is not simply the inspiration for the mission. She is the daily reminder of why it matters.
He said people with Down syndrome have a way of showing love that the world needs.
“I think that people with Down syndrome are probably the closest to agape love that we’re going to feel on this earth,” Flores said. “They’re the purest of hearts.”
Flores said Isabel may not communicate the same way others do, but her ability to express love is unmistakable.
“She may not have the same size vocabulary that you and I have, but she can express love in ways that you can understand,” Flores said.
Like many parents, Flores said the early days after Isabel’s diagnosis came with fear and uncertainty.
“I remember whenever we first had Isabel, it was a lot of fear, as one would imagine,” Flores said. “It was a gut punch at first.”
But over time, he said, fear gave way to love, understanding and purpose.
“Then you learn to live with it and not live with it,” Flores said. “You just learn to raise a child like you would any other typical learning child.”
A message for new parents
Flores said one of his strongest messages is for families who have recently received a prenatal diagnosis or welcomed a baby with Down syndrome.
“Any parents out there that may be listening that are facing prenatal diagnosis or just had a baby with Down syndrome, I can promise you it’s OK,” Flores said.
He said every child is made with purpose.
“We are all perfectly made in God’s image,” Flores said. “He makes no mistakes.”
Flores said the road may look different than expected, but different does not mean less.
“Your life is going to be amazing and we’re going to get to the same finish line,” Flores said. “We just might take the scenic route and that’s OK, too.”
Businesses help make the mission free
Down for Smiles remains free to families through fundraising and sponsorships.
Flores said local businesses can help sponsor a family’s experience, covering travel and production costs. In return, he provides professional commercial work for the sponsoring business.
“The businesses here in Huntsville, what I’ve been doing is they’re sponsoring the families around the country,” Flores said. “I shoot them a commercial so they get a marketable asset out of it and the family gets sponsored for free.”
He said the families pay nothing.
“It’s at no charge at all,” Flores said.
Sponsorship costs can vary based on flights, lodging, rental cars and location, but Flores said many trips are around $1,500 and usually remain under $2,000.
“I haven’t seen one go over $2,000,” Flores said. “It just depends on the prices.”
Flores said he is not trying to profit from the mission.
“On these shoots I don’t make a dime,” Flores said. “I don’t want to.”
He said his goal is simply to get to the families and tell their stories well.
“I’m just a dude with a camera and a message to share,” Flores said.
Looking beyond the United States
Flores said one of his larger goals is to take Down for Smiles to Iceland, where he said he wants to advocate for families and individuals with Down syndrome.
“I am dying to get to Iceland,” Flores said.
His message, he said, is that people with Down syndrome are worthy of life, dignity and celebration.
“They need to know like you have families here that are worthy of life,” Flores said.
That belief drives the larger purpose behind Down for Smiles.
“Your loved one does mean something,” Flores said. “Your loved one is special and holds value in this world and deserves their own place and their own right in this world as well.”
How to learn more
Down for Smiles continues to build partnerships locally and nationally while celebrating families in the Down syndrome community.
The organization’s website says its mission is to raise awareness of “these bright lights just looking for the opportunity to shine.”
For Flores, that light starts with Isabel Grace and continues through every family his camera meets.
More information is available at downforsmiles.org. Questions may be sent to phillip@isabelgracephoto.com.
Down for Smiles is a 501(c)(3) organization. Its EIN is 92-1427169.