When you love what you do you never consider it work
In this episode, I share the story of How a Camera Saved My Life and how I got started in photography, and where I am now.
My first camera was a Kodak Polaroid Camera
Then the convenience store digital film cameras
In Middle School, I was gifted with a digital camera which I took with me on my first out of the country trip to Costa Rica.
The DSLR (Digitial Single Lens Reflex) cameras I own and use are the Nikon D3000 and D7000 (Video Capabilities)
I started using during my first trip to my first African country Ghana (I talked about in episode three)
Unbeknownst to me, I started capturing the final professional images of friends/family/clients before they passed on.
Such as Family Portrait – Son of Audiologist Marine
Family friend Almaz – I took the most and the last professional photographs of her
How I got started:
Began photographing my friend who grew up in a musical family
My first big media break thanks to my aunt who was a freelance makeup artist
The irony of my name meaning illuminating, shining bright
My classmates have said my travel work resembles Steve McCurry and makes them feel like they were in the country I traveled to.
I studied the work of
Jeremy Cowart who I mentioned in a previous episode as he founded Help-Portrait.
my mom bought me photo books
I ordered books from photographers who looked like me or whose style I admired such as Matthew Jordan Smith and photographers like Mark Liddell, Mario Testino
Brian Smith – whom I had the pleasure of meeting and receiving an autograph from.
I even got to meet the official photographer of the Grand Ole Opry, Chris Hollo.
Studied Commercial Photography in High School – wanted to take the journalism program, but instead got placed in the Architecture program. There are no regrets because I know how to read floor plans and how I want to build my future house.
Then studied Professional Photography post-high school.
What a full Circle it is because a camera saved my life due to an image my mother took to help detect cancer, and now I plan to give back by teaching children and other adults who wanted to be my assistant just so they could learn.
Follow me on social media @illuminousone
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