One thing I’ve learned throughout my journey as a photographer is that a lot of opportunities come from the relationships you build and the people who believe in your work when you’re not around.
As creatives, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to promote ourselves, how to get our work seen, and how to find the next opportunity. Those things matter, but there is something powerful about someone else sharing your name.
Someone saying, “You should work with them.”
Recently, Nickelle was looking for a photographer for her birthday portraits and reached out to her Instagram community for recommendations. My good friend Maya Winston saw the post and immediately sent her my information.
That one small moment of support turned into something much bigger.
After connecting with Nickelle, we spent the next few weeks talking through her vision, what she wanted these images to represent, scheduling, wardrobe, logistics, and all the details that help bring a shoot together.
By the time she stepped into Studio 3K NYC, we had already built a connection and understanding of what we wanted to create.
The goal was simple: create images that celebrated her birthday and documented a special moment in her life.
The images are always important, but what I appreciate most about this session is everything that happened before the final photograph.
The conversations. The trust. The planning. The people involved.
Photography is often viewed as just the final image, but there is so much that happens behind the scenes. Every portrait has a story before the camera comes out. Every opportunity has a story before the shoot begins.
And sometimes that story starts with someone recommending you.
That’s something I never take for granted.
The people who share your work, tag you, send someone your way, or mention your name in a room you aren’t in are helping build your career in ways they may never fully see.
For entrepreneurs and creatives, those moments matter.
Because when you’re building something, support doesn’t always show up in obvious ways. Sometimes it’s a comment. Sometimes it’s a referral. Sometimes it’s a conversation you weren’t part of that leads to the next opportunity.
Maya’s recommendation gave me the opportunity to connect with Nickelle. Nickelle trusted me to create something meaningful for an important moment in her life.
That’s the part of this work that continues to inspire me.
The images are the final product, but the relationships are what make the journey special.
Thank you to everyone who has ever shared my name, recommended my work, or trusted me to be part of your story.
You never know what opportunity starts with a simple introduction.