Rising Stars: Meet Neely Townes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neely Townes.

Hi Neely, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was 19 years old, looking for a new hobby when I first visited Atlanta. I came to take my first dance class, and I seemed to immediately fall in love with the city. Dance became my new passion. I couldn’t explain why I loved it so much, but it just felt right. As I slowly began to take more and more dance classes, I realized that I wanted it to be my career. It felt crazy for me to say it aloud since 19 was a pretty late age to start. But I knew that the only person putting limitations on me was myself. With enough hard work, I could succeed. While I was working on my growth as a dancer, I picked up a camera too. I figured photography could be a great secondary way to support myself. The more I took pictures, the more I fell in love with the art of it. So slowly, I began to build as both a dancer and photographer. I moved to Atlanta about two months ago to begin full-on pursuing my career as a dancer and photographer.

I graduated from the University of Alabama in December with a degree in Business Marketing. Many days I feel overwhelmed with how much I need to grow as an artist. I have a lot to learn before I can be consistently booked for big work. But then I remember that God always equips His children to take on what He has planned for them. So for now, I just continue to train and continue to steadily grow until one day, I begin to be on the jobs I dream of. I struggle to write my story because I wonder how I can inspire the next person. My path has been so “random”, but I know it was orchestrated by God. I never pictured myself as a creative. I never thought I’d be on this path, but I love it so so much.

I oftentimes feel so incapable of achieving the things I dream of. But what I constantly remind myself of is that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. No one can thwart His plans for you. So I trust in Him. I also constantly remind myself that no matter what, I am filled with purpose and value because I was created by God. You do not have to achieve great things to be valuable. You do not have to have a great name to be full of purpose. You are valuable because you are simply made by God and loved by Him. He delights in you simply because you exist. So, at the end of the day, yes I work really hard and I hope to be dancing behind big artists and photographing artists as well. But regardless of what I achieve, I can rest knowing that I am enough in Christ. If you’re reading this, I hope that’s what you take away. You are enough – just as you are. How sad that so many people feel like they have to earn their value. We run around anxiety-stricken because we feel this great need to gain our worth. But I’m here to tell you – rest. Rest knowing that you are enough.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not many things worth pursuing are easy roads. I was just now able to move here to Atlanta, but I traveled back and forth to the city for about a year and a half before I was actually able to make a move. I knew I needed to get dance training in Atlanta, network with people, build more of a photography clientele. But I was in college 3.5 hours away and had a job. So many times, after work on Fridays, I would drive 3.5 hours to Atlanta, crash on a friend’s couch, take some dance classes, and hopefully get to shoot with somebody. Then, I would drive back to my school the next day. I never turned down a photo shoot. I tried to come to Atlanta every chance I got. I was coming every single weekend for a time period. I started making the trip so often that my dad literally banned me from coming to Atlanta lol. My parents wanted me to be present at school, but my mind was so focused on Atlanta and the opportunities of the city. But now I’m here!! And although I haven’t received many big opportunities yet, I know that if I keep working hard, this city really will bring my dreams into a reality.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in studio photography. I do most of my shoots at Cam Kirk Studios in downtown Atlanta. Most of the time, I’m doing a portrait or editorial work, but I’ve also shot some clothing lines, events, etc. I would say what sets me apart is just getting great, clean photos of people that they can use for a long time. I know that sounds like a “no-brainer” for photographers, but sometimes photographers can be more focused on the creative aspects of the images or the set versus the person being highlighted in the photo. My most proud moment was probably getting to take photographs of T.I. as I shot an event for Hideoki, a luxury suite wear company. That was definitely special. In the near future, I hope to be producing more powerful images that people would like to have hung up in their homes. Selling prints is definitely a goal of mine. I would also love to photograph for big artists and choreographers.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk-taking is the most important part of being creative. You truly have to be willing to fail over and over again before expecting any amount of success. To a certain degree, I am afraid of failure, and it is constantly something I am working to overcome. However, I also feel as though I’ve taken many risks that have led to where I am now. To begin with, I was not a good dancer starting out. I was 19 taking my first dance class, and I was not anything special lol. But I stuck to it. I practiced all the time. And I slowly got better and better. The same is true with my photography. I didn’t know how to shoot in a studio or use photoshop when I started out. But I researched and asked people questions and experimented until I got better. I still feel like I am very much an amateur when it comes to dance and photography. But I’ve come so far already, and I know I’ll continue to grow from where I am. I took a risk in moving to Atlanta, and I believe it’s going to be an incredible journey.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: yungceoportfolio.squarespace.com
• Instagram: @neelytownes @yungceophoto

Image Credits:
– Kye Sams – YungCEO Photo