Check Out Sha’na Cain’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sha’na Cain.

Hi Sha’na, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am the daughter of Louisiana Natives whose families moved west to Los Angeles during the Great Migration. It was there they met and later gave birth to me. Born to a mother who was a reformed Gang Member turned Gospel Rapper and a Father who was a successful hustler turned investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. They raised me in southern LA. My upbringing there was cut short when my mom decided to move her family to Atlanta GA, in 2000 (I was 10). This was a migration of sorts to me and took a lot of getting used to. It was hard making friends the first few years due to coastal and cultural differences.

In high school, things got a bit easier, and somewhere along the line, I picked up a digital camera. I would take pictures of everyone, all the time (surprisingly enough I wasn’t on the school yearbook committee.). The camera would stay glued to my hand all throughout my college matriculation, only as a means of capturing memories—until my then best friend, now husband, asked me to do a photo shoot for him in 2010. He was launching his rap career. After our photo shoot, however, I put the camera down for years. Dealing with my father’s murder, broken friendships, and dead-end relationships. It wasn’t until 2013, when my best friend and I reunited, that I decided to really pursue photography. I had become a mother and was trying to figure out what I REALLY wanted to do, after abruptly changing my mind about law school. My best friend, who by this point was my kid’s father and soon-to-be husband, reminded me how good I was (naturally) at photography and encouraged me to explore it seriously. I didn’t ignore his suggestion.

Prior to this realization, I had removed myself from those who I formerly considered “friends”, so I didn’t have many subjects for my lens. I turned to nature and my newly created family. My husband and I would drive around and do random photo shoots all over ATL. When I wasn’t photographing him, it was flowers and the beauty surrounding me. It seemed butterflies and bees were naturally attracting me. At the same time, I was running out of my inheritance money and hadn’t found a way to make the flowers and bees pay for my photography. My husband’s rap career hadn’t gotten off the ground yet, and we were struggling. This is the part of the story where we went broke and I discovered photography was my passion. So, In an attempt to regain my footing after losing my home and needing to move my kids in with their grandmother, I decided that I needed to go back home to LA for some clarity. I had not revisited since my father’s funeral. My husband and I drove to LA, with little money and no housing arrangements. We were homeless in LA for ten months. During this time, all I had was my photography, I landed a brand photography opportunity with Royal Blunts. Just the thing I needed to keep going.

Upon returning to ATL, I was clear that my passion was sharing my photography and poetry with the world. It was the thing I did with no money, and for no money, I returned driven. I didn’t have the money to invest into professional equipment (I once had a Nikon but it was stolen), however, my first photo shoot was done on my cellphone. So that’s what I did; I kept shooting on my cell phone. iPhone photography became my thing. I decided I didn’t have to do things “traditionally”. Nature photography wasn’t traditional, and neither was my approach. I used my Instagram as my online portfolio. I began driving Uber to make money and network. I then began to get offers to do photo shoots. This is when I realized I wanted to focus mainly on nature and brand photography. I strive daily to stay committed to my vision and journey. Ideally, I would like to be published, printed, and presented in exhibitions.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road at all; as aforementioned, I struggled financially, mentally, and physically. This path has required faith beyond measure. It has required determination and a strong sense of self-belief. I’ve dealt with self-doubt and lack of support from my family. I’ve dealt with stolen equipment and homelessness. I’ve beat death and a custody battle while still maintaining my creativity. I’ve dealt with family turmoil and feelings of being overlooked, underqualified, and ignored.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist, my favorite form of expression is photography combined with poetry. I specialize in nature and brand photography. I am known for the pictures I take of flowers, butterflies, and bees paired with my conscious poetry. I like to think of myself as a celebrity in the flower, butterfly, and bee community. I am most proud of my awareness and ability to be observant and a witness to the beauty of the world around and within me. It’s very easy to be consumed by our problems and the chaos of the world. It’s so easy to succumb to pessimism and hyper-focus on all the ugliness we are shown and experience. Along with my focus on nature, my way of thinking and awareness sets me apart from others. I see things most don’t see due to their being busy and distracted. My poetry also adds to my distinction, providing an extra layer of depth to the images I’ve captured.

How do you think about luck?
I believe we create our own luck in life, based off our decisions, thoughts, and actions. Becoming more self-aware and aware in general has allowed me to take advantage of my unique POV and all the good life offers us daily. When I was distracted and paying attention to what others did or might say; seeking approval, I created situations that weren’t in my best interest. So for me, bad luck is a result of constantly choosing into negativity, putting myself in environments that don’t serve me, and neglecting or ignoring myself. I do my best to listen to my intuition and stay committed to my vision.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/by.Shana
• Twitter: twitter.com/tweetsbyshana