Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilijah Simpson.
Hi Ilijah, 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 started my photography career when I was a sophomore in high school, and I was learning everything I possibly could and was photographing as much as I could to get used to taking pictures of everything and using different lenses. I was in yearbook in high school and did more candid and sports photography photos. Then, I was accepted into SCAD and wanted to do more portrait photography. I started a student employment job at the school in the photography space, where I learned even more lighting techniques and how to photograph more in the studio and develop my own style when it comes to photography. My style comes from my background of being from Brooklyn, New York, seeing a lot of streetwear, and hearing all the music that my dad would make, and watching a lot of content from YouTube, Movies, Cartoons, and playing video games and from all of that I took my time to develop my ideas and picking out the people I want to have represented in my photos.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been a pretty smooth road for the most part, except in my opinion, I’d say financially it’s not so much because besides my parents paying for my schooling, they still have three other kids that they’ve been paying for, and while I have one job currently trying to live paycheck to paycheck I and do school it’s not the best “road.” Besides me doing all of my own stuff and school I try to help as many of my friends as I can, but I end up burning myself out and don’t do as much for me.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work, as I briefly said before, comes from my background living and being from Brooklyn, New York, and everyone in my family is an artist, so I’ve been surrounded by music and art for as long as I could remember. I would say my work is directed in street style portraits in the studio in the commercial sense, and I also like photographing with instant film, like Polaroid and Instax, and that work comes from I used a digital camera for so long that I’ve already figured out what I like to look for when I want to use my film cameras. I’m known for the studio portraits and Polaroid work because it is something I do a lot and walk around with, so everyone I interact with mainly knows me for that. I’m mostly proud of my technical abilities in and out of the studio and that I’ve learned how to use just about every kind of camera, so I’m well versed in how to use any kind I pick up. I think something that sets me apart from others is that I like to be as authentic to myself as much as possible and try to bring as much of myself into my work as I can.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Nope. Everything looks right
Pricing:
- Nia | from series Pensive | 1,500
- Julia | from series Pensive | 1,500
- Kris | from series Pensive | 1,500
- Fallon | from series Pensive | 1,500
- X | from series Pensive | 1,500
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Ilijahsimpson.cargo.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinka.head?igsh=b216aXk3MGttbm41&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Nia Blue
Julia Popsicle
Kris Brown
