Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaac Ameyaw.
Hi Isaac, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Washington, DC is already a gateway within itself to finding your tribe and what makes you unique. There’s a great source of inspiration and community everywhere around you. I always perceived my surroundings differently. What someone would call uninteresting was a place I saw vibrance. As an adolescent, I was very reserved and introverted. That set me on a path to finding different ways to express myself. Drawing was my first outlet. Although I enjoyed it, it was a little difficult. Going into middle school, I found another outlet, which happened to be basketball. Although I would look to basketball as a gateway, my creativity grew.
At the time, I also ran a small digital art account with a few friends, making photo cutouts. Further down the line, I would use different software programs such as VSCO Cam, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to post my digital art and photos. It also helped me make mood boards and find inspiration. One beautiful thing that contributed to my development as a photographer was being able to walk everywhere. It helped me stumble across so many locations within my environment to photograph on my phone at the time. Going into my high school years, I found myself less interested in most electives but would thrive and have the most engagement in my art and TV Productions classes. During my last year in high school, I decided to take an “Intro to Photography” course. It was there that I learned more about Adobe applications such as Photoshop and Lightroom. Right after high school, I was in college full-time, majoring in information technology. On top of that, I worked part-time. I found myself losing my love for school once again. It was at that time that I started leaning toward my intuition to invest in my creativity and take it seriously to see what I could make out of it. It led to me giving my school a gap year and leaving my job at the time. Two years later, I can say it’s a privilege to call photography my purpose.
Photography helps me express my inner child. It starts as an idea or simply stumbling across a location and visualizing a subject standing there. From there, I’m writing my thoughts down on paper and finding inspiration to see what correlates with the vision I have. Finding a model who can match what I’m going for is very important as well. From there, we discuss outfits, makeup, and location, then turn what started as an idea into reality.
One core memory I have, which I believe contributed to my path, is being younger and always using the family Kodak camera. No matter where we were, I had that camera in my hand.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The path to becoming a better photographer is paved with both blessings and obstacles. I think these challenges are beneficial for artists because they show us how to improve the caliber, breadth, and viability of our output. One significant struggle I can mention is coming from a West African background, Ghana. You aren’t taught to rely on your imagination since doing so isn’t viewed as a means of success, but rather as a way to succeed in school and getting a job. Moving on, experiencing creative blockages, or simply lacking the will to produce are additional factors that may cause difficulties along the route. Taking breaks to enjoy life and devoting time to work on self instead of photography has proven to be a successful strategy for me. With that, I find myself gaining different experiences, making new memories, and finding fascinating places that contribute to getting rid of the creative slump. It comes with a whole new flow of fresh ideas to keep me going. To end everything off, I believe one major struggle was having to be my own source of financial support. I believe every creator can agree on the hustle, stress, and hard work that comes with chasing a creative dream. Nevertheless, I believe we are put on these paths for a reason, so I advise every creator to keep going.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As of right now, I am a full-time creative specializing in behind-the-scenes, in-studio, and fashion editorial photography. My concepts for outdoor locations are what I am most well-known for. I think the hidden meaning I convey in my work is what distinguishes me from others. Some of the photo shoots that are featured on my page were held in places where I spent most of my time as a child. These places are important to me because they are valuable to me and my community, and they also reflect how important my upbringing was. The thing that makes me the proudest, though, is being able to use the environment I grew up in, creating something from it and watching it blossom.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I learned to take risks from COVID-19. It was the most valuable lesson. In retrospect, I think I’d be unhappy and stagnant if I hadn’t listened to my intuition and followed the journey I’m currently on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/SwEaTc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyeam2raw/
Image Credits:
Image Credits: Isaac Ameyaw @eyeam2raw
