Today we’d like to introduce you to Zamiyah Jackson.
Hi Zamiyah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Photography was something I honestly didn’t expect to get into. I was the person who got all of the good angles and lighting with just an iPhone and my friends and family would compliment me on how good their photos are or what not. So when I was in 10th grade, that’s when I decided to go along with my newfound talent to see how far I can take it. I joined Journalism/ Yearbook class, and around this time, the class was overcrowded which caused the teacher to take some kids out. I’d begged her to let me stay so I can try to pursue and learn more about photography. Still to this day, I am grateful for Dr.Echoles, from Morrow High School, for giving me a chance to grow and be where I am today. I am also thankful for my mother for buying me my first camera, Christmas 2018. Since then, I have practiced and played with the camera settings to get the right detailing. Even when I made my Instagram, I knew I needed more help so I found a mentor, Chanitra Dreher ~ @shotbycee on Instagram, who has really helped me and had no problem with teaching me the basics. As I kept learning more and more about cameras, lenses, and settings… I invested in my first DSLR camera February 2021. Today I am more sharper with my images, I can edit a little bit better, and I have amazing friends and family that support what I do. I know there’s still a lot of work to be done, but I am willing to do what it takes to get to where I need to be.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing is ever going to be a ‘smooth road’ when starting out doing anything and I learned that very quickly. During Journalism/ Yearbook class, I had the advantage of using the classroom camera to take pictures of students and teachers during events such as Homecoming Week, Pep rallies, and even regular teaching hours. By having that advantage, I brought my own personal camera and took practice pictures of my friends who were dressed up; or random kids in the hallway who wanted pictures in that moment. When people started to notice me more, it became ‘blind competition’. By this, I mean while I was just having fun with my camera and learning along the way but, certain individuals were trying to be in competition with me. I had no intention in competing with anyone because if you would like to do photography than go right ahead… nobody is stopping you. Eventually, I started comparing myself and my work to other photographers and their photographs that I admire on Instagram. That caused me to lack motivation because I was so stressed about my pictures or creative mindset not looking exactly like theirs. I continued to grow and so did my knowledge. I realized that everyone isn’t the same and aren’t put on the same path as you. I had to consistently work on myself if I wanted to get the recognition I deserved. All of that was just at the age of 16-17, I am now 19 and one of my main struggles now is finding a steady support system. Friends & family, of course they support me to the max, but I want strangers that I have never met to give me a chance to showcase my improved talent and photograph them. My mindset is very creative. However, it becomes a blur when I know exactly what I want don’t know how to go about the idea that I have. A consistent support system mixed with a blurry creative mindset is really what I am currently struggling with and want to fix as soon as possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Captured By Zee?
Captured By Zee is a black-owned business. My vision and goal is to show my clientele that I am utterly willing to bring both creativity and show them that no matter what skin they are in, what flaws they may have, what insecurities they have— they are all beautiful in their own way. Everyone has their own story to tell. It is my job to capture the essence to tell their story. Create eccentric content for people to bask in those moment to be able to look back and smile knowing that was a pulchritudinous time for them.
The consistent planning, time, and money that has been spent for the last four years to build my brand from the ground up is my most noble moment. Reason being I know I can and will be better than where I am today. The positive energy, as well as my professionalism with my services will guarantee a great shoot and an even better experience. I am not saying it will be easy but I will be sure my customers leave with a smile.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
There are plenty of pros and cons when it comes to living or even visiting Atlanta. Atlanta has a widespread of diversity with mixed cultures, vibrant communities, a booming economy, and plenty of new construction. It’s easy to fall in love with a city that has walkable neighborhoods, award-winning restaurants, historical charm, and subtropical, sunny weather. Nothing could be more breathtaking.
However, there are cons. Traffic is an all-time favorite when it comes to cons. The cost of living here has skyrocketed since I was a kid. I remember being able to live in an apartment for $650 a month was good nowadays you’re lucky if you get anything less than $1500 on average. Crime rates aren’t too bad but can still be considered dangerous.
Either way, I love my city. It’s where I grew up and I wouldn’t want change where I came from. It’s only up from here.
Contact Info:
- Email: zamiyahj.photography@gmail.com
- Website: https://capturedbyzee.as.me/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/capturedby.zee?utm_medium=copy_link
