Today we’d like to introduce you to Senaite Murray.
Senaite, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started taking pictures around 14 with this really old video camera my dad gave me. I liked being able to capture a moment of time and the ability to control the perspective of it. Each picture served as a bookmark in time or as something I could always refer back to whenever I began to miss the past. I started taking more conscious shots of things I actually wanted to remember, like playing outside with my siblings in the yard or moments with friends. This experimentation; this bookmarking of time, instilled in me a love for photography or more. I got my first DSLR, a Nikon D3100 at 16, and the experimentation continued. I began taking pictures around my school for the newspaper and I absolutely loved it. I first experimented with film making and editing in this setting, and really got a chance to develop my skills. In 2014, my friends and I shot a short film and entered it into a contest at the High Museum of Art and got selected to be in the screening. This was my first time writing, directing and co-editing something with a group of my peers and for the purpose of my own. Going up on that stage to talk about the film was when I knew I wanted this to be my life. Since then, I’ve only continued to grow my skills as a photographer and filmmaker. I’m studying film at GSU and have even had work shown in the 2018 Student Film Festival. Now as a senior at GSU, I spend most of my time still doing photography and working on films!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My biggest challenges have been keeping my focus and staying encouraged. Social media makes it very easy to get discouraged in your art and skills but you just have to remain focused on your own end goal. I know it’s quite a cliche but the comparison is truly the thief of joy. Once I truly understood that no one is traveling the same road as I am and really began to trust myself and my journey, I could see my path a little more clearly.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Senaiteshots – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Senaiteshots is a small business that encompasses everything camera related. I do photography, videography, editing for videos and photography and writing. My work is all about helping people visualize their ideas. Senaiteshots is at its core, simply my perspective. What makes my work different is the fact that it’s coming from me and I think that’s also what I’m most proud of. My photography comes from a love of capturing moments and being able to literally watch myself get better doing so and my work reflects that. I want the viewers of my work to be to feel the moments that I have captured and to be able to use my work as a bookmark in time.
I use Senaiteshots to help run The In Crowd ATL, a new blog that is a platform for people to get to know Atlanta’s underground creatives. I handle most of the photography and coming videography for interviews featured on the blog. This blog is something we do completely free of charge. We do it simply to provide whatever exposure we can to young creatives we feel are really contributing to the heartbeat of the cities culture.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My main goal is to grow as a filmmaker. I want to be able to take my own projects to festivals and even theaters if I can. Film making is storytelling and all I want to tell people my stories and give people a glimpse into another perspective. I am also working on scoring some of my film projects. Music has always been a very important part of my life and I don’t think that should change now. I am a firm believer in the fact that people should develop all of the skills and talents they possess to their fullest potential. My more immediate goals are to help grow The In Crowd into a reliable place for people to come to stay tapped into some cool local stuff growing in Atlanta to just get better at all the things I love to do!
Pricing:
- Generally, $50/hour for photography but I really prefer to give custom quotes for video work and larger photography gigs
Contact Info:
- Website: https://senaitem.myportfolio.com/
- Email: yungsenaite@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senaiteshots/
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