Today we’d like to introduce you to Aylah Lewis.
Hi Aylah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Photography has always been an interest of mine. It started as a cool way to interact with others. In 2016, an extended family member gifted me my first camera, and from that moment I was hooked. As I took more photos, I realized, photography was more than just snapping photos. I was able to capture emotion and bring it to life.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ha! The road of becoming a photographer has definitely not been an easy one. I have faced many obstacles as well as challenges as I build my company. One of my challenges is feeling like photographers are no longer needed in a world filled with “camera phone photographers”. With the latest technology, it seems like it can be so easy to just purchase a mobile phone with a good camera and boom, you are a photographer. Don’t get me wrong, camera phones have come a long way and are able to take really good photos but being a photographer requires more than just snapping a photo.
Having the proper equipment and resources to begin my career as a professional photographer was challenging. I had to do quite a bit of research and seek advice from other photographers before making purchases.
As a young entrepreneur, I have to remind myself that I am just getting started. I am my biggest critic and often find myself questioning if my work was good enough or how can I make it better. As I began to build my brand and define what I wanted ANL to be, I realized I often compare myself to other creatives.
One of the biggest challenges that I faced and still face is the ability to gain and retain a consistent flow of clientele. This has caused me to question my branding as well as back to questioning my work; even when the clients I do have rave about how much they love it. I quickly learned that I have to be confident in knowing that I am good at what I do and as I continue to learn and grow so will my clientele.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the CEO of my newly created digital media company. I also currently serve as the photographer, graphic artist, and content creator. Currently, I specialize in photography and content creation.
I am most proud of the final result; seeing a positive reaction on my client’s face when they see what I have created for them brings me joy because I know I did my job well.
What sets me apart of others is my personality, when you walk in the studio, I am now your personal hype girl. I consider myself a thermometer, I set the atmosphere so that you can feel comfortable. I don’t just want to take a photo I want to capture the emotion behind the photo and I have the ability to pull that out of my clients. I have the ability to encourage and bring out the best in the subject in order to bring it to life in the photo.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Living in a world where technology is taking dominant, the way photographers capture photos may change. Equipment will eventually become more digital and I believe eventually hands-free. The focus on editing will become more creative as more and more people desire a social media presence.
Contact Info:
- Email: Bookanlmedia@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anl.media/
Image Credits
Anl Media
