Ep 15 How I Got Started in Photography

A friend once said are you ever not working? When you love what you do you never consider it work In the very first episode, I share the story of How a Camera Saved My Life This is a follow up where I share the entire story of how I got started and where I am now. My first camera was a Kodak Polaroid Camera Then the convenient 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 Really started using it during my first trip to my first African country of Ghana (Which I also talked about in a previous episode) Unbeknownst to me, I started capturing the last professional images of friends/family/clients Family Portrait - Son of Audiologist Marine Family friend Almaz - I took the most and the last professional photographs of her 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 My name meaning is illuminous (illuminating, shining bright) That's what I bring to the Music Industry and any of my Candid Style of Portraits 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. Back when Amazon was a book reseller 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 and got his Autograph as well. 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. Only a handful of my classmates still actively pursue photography because, like entrepreneurship, it is not easy. 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. I saw a need and a void that I could fill. I had others who wanted to be my assistant just so they could learn. Learn more about my services: nayyarphotography.com Follow me on social media @illuminousone Subscribe/Follow/Listen: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2TdAZ87 Google Play: http://bit.ly/2NzzSup Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=378763&refid=stpr Apple Podcast: apple.co/2NYapeh