Today we’d like to introduce you to Niya Simone.
Hi Niya, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started doing photography in high school, actually. There weren’t many electives for me to choose from, and it was either photography or gym. So I just chose photography, and I actually ended up doing really well. I made it all the way to AP Photography, and that’s when I kind of realized that this was a skill I didn’t even know I had, but I wanted to continue doing it.
When I got to college, I ended up joining a club called MAG (Media Arts Geniuses), where I did dance and photography. As I got more into photography in college, I attended seminars, had my work featured in art exhibitions, and then I started creating my own business.
I started Ny Photography back in 2019. At the time, I was doing graduation shoots, maternity shoots, birthday shoots and events, but doing those kinds of shoots really wasn’t my favorite. I think it was because there were so many different requests for how people wanted their pictures to look, and it started to feel more like homework and less like a hobby that I enjoyed.
Then COVID came around, so I moved back home. But I still wanted to do photography, so I thought to myself, “How can I still incorporate photography without having any clients at the moment?” That’s when I started a series called “Me Shot By Me”. I was not only the photographer, but I was also the model.
I did that for quite some time. I remember traveling to the beach, shooting in my backyard and front yard, ordering studio backdrops and lighting, and literally putting together an entire studio set in my mom’s garage—smack dab in the middle of the summer in the Florida heat. I was very much dedicated at that time.
That got me a lot of recognition. I started working with brands and became a published photographer. Unfortunately after that I stepped into the corporate world and kind of stopped photography.
I had moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and got caught up in moving to a new city, exploring, and experiencing new things. I didn’t pick up my camera for a really long time. But I think it was also the fear of picking it back up and stepping back into the kinds of shoots that I didn’t necessarily enjoy. I didn’t know what my style was. I didn’t know where I was going with photography. So I thought, “You know what? Since I don’t know, I’m not even going to pick up the camera.” Bad mistake.
So my camera was catching dust for a very long time.
But I truly believe that when you have a calling, you’re always going to be reminded of it until you actually step into it. Whether you see signs, people keep asking you about it, or you constantly have that feeling or thought—whatever it is—I feel like, for years, I was always getting asked, “Do you still do photography?” or “When are you going to start photography again?” And I would always just brush off the question.
Then, a couple of years ago, I went to Europe for a month and decided to bring my camera with me. I think that was the first time I had picked up my camera in a really long time since COVID. That’s when I really started stepping back into photography.
At the same time, I also started getting more into social media. I realized a lot of people were loving even the pictures I took on my iPhone. People loved the aesthetic. I loved taking pictures of bars and restaurants, and that became a little series I did on TikTok for a while.
As I leaned more into social media, I started asking myself, “Okay, what do I actually want to do with this?” Did I want to become a content creator? Did I want to make beauty content or fashion content? I tried that a little bit, but it still didn’t feel like me.
Then one day, I decided to buy myself a new camera the Canon EOS R50. I told myself, “You know what? I’m just going to walk around Charlotte, North Carolina, and take pictures.”
That was the first time I had picked up a camera again since Europe. I think about a year and a half had passed. As I walked around taking pictures, I realized, “Wow, I’m actually really good at architectural photography, interiors, hospitality, and home design.”
I wanted to keep going with that because I was getting a lot of great feedback. I remember posting my work on social media and getting a lot of traction, so I continued.
A couple of weeks later, I went to New York and did the same thing. I walked around the city taking pictures of buildings, cars, streets, and people. That also attracted a lot of attention, and I thought, “Okay, I think I found my niche.”
But I also realized I didn’t just want to take pictures of buildings. I wanted to find a way to combine my lifestyle with my photography. I love to travel, so I thought, “Why don’t I become a hospitality and travel photographer?” Not only do I get to photograph architecture, interiors, furniture, aesthetics, and lifestyle, but I also get to travel while doing something I love.
I remember looking back through my photo albums and realizing I had kind of already been doing this without even knowing it. I had so many photos of hotels, boutique staircases, hotel rooms, and beautiful bathrooms. It had always been there.
So I created a website, put together a media kit, and started reaching out to restaurants. My first collaboration was with Sixty Vines. From there, I started reaching out to boutique hotels everywhere. I made a list of every state I wanted to work in and began contacting hotels in each one.
Whenever I traveled, I also photographed the Airbnbs and hotels I stayed in to continue building my portfolio. I started hearing back from hotels for collaborations, and I even invested my own money into booking Airbnbs just so I could create more content.
That’s kind of where I am now. It’s still not my full-time job, although that’s definitely the goal. But I genuinely enjoy what I do. I am also trying out product photography because I really enjoy the creativity that goes into It. After six or seven years, I finally feel like I’ve stepped into what I’m meant to do, and I’m really enjoying the journey.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, I’ll be honest. I think because I’m kind of doing something that I’ve been putting off for so many years because of the self-doubt and fear I had, I’m now at a place in my life where I want to go after exactly what I want, and that just looks a little different for me.
I have to work harder. I have to sacrifice a lot of things. I have to invest a lot of time. Like I said, this is not my full-time job, so I basically have my “five to nine” after my nine to five. It’s also the planning that goes into it all and making sure that I’m confident and trust myself enough to know that I can succeed.
Not every shoot is going to be my best shoot, and that’s where I have to stop being so hard on myself. I always try to remind myself that this is a skill I’m good at and something I genuinely enjoy, and that should also be enough. As long as I’m consistent with myself, I’ll be okay.
Fear of failure was definitely one of my biggest struggles because it’s just me. I don’t have a team. I don’t necessarily have people I can lean on for this. That doesn’t mean those opportunities or people aren’t out there, but when you’re starting out and trying to figure out where you fit into the creative world, it can be a lot.
But I know I don’t want to stop. I don’t want to make the same mistake I made before by putting my camera down for years while constantly having that itch, that feeling, that little voice telling me to pick it back up. I never want to be in that position again.
Because it took me years to figure this out, sometimes I do feel like I’m slightly behind. Sometimes I fall into that “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve” mindset, and I know that can hold us back. So I have to remind myself not to dwell on the past because that’s already happened. Instead, I choose to be grateful for where I am now and excited about where I’m going.
I finally know exactly what I want to do with photography and how I want to go about it. I have a game plan. I have a six-month to one-year plan. If I believe in myself, then that’s what matters most.
At the end of the day, the bumpy roads, the trials, and the tribulations have all been worth it. They’ve helped me become better, taught me valuable lessons, and pushed me even more to keep going instead of giving up.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I do hospitality and lifestyle photography. So, I basically go to hotels, Airbnbs, and properties, and I take pictures of their spaces. I bring the space to life. I find every detail within these properties and capture it through my lens.
Not only that, but I also take pictures of myself within those spaces. Whether it’s taking a picture of myself wearing a robe, drinking coffee in bed, swimming in the pool, or opening up the curtains and seeing the beautiful sunlight shine through, I love creating a story within the space that I’m photographing.
I know that creating that type of storytelling can attract more people and make them want to book those hotels or properties. I also create creative reels and TikToks to grab the audience’s attention.
Ultimately, I take pictures based on the client’s needs and create content that aligns with their vision.
I believe what sets me apart is that I can do both. I can be the photographer, but I can also be the model. In a sense, I’m thinking for two. I’m thinking from a photographer’s perspective, but I’m also thinking from a customer’s perspective.
I can provide a little bit of both. I can provide two different perspectives and create different vibes depending on what the client wants.
Think that can definitely go a long way because sometimes people want to see what a space looks like from a guest’s perspective. They want to see what somebody looks like at the fitness center, or what somebody looks like drinking a cocktail poolside, so they can also envision themselves being in that space as well.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the next five to ten years, I see myself being a well-known photographer. I see myself having traveled to many different countries, connecting with many different people, and maybe even mentoring people myself.
I can see myself having a team behind me that helps me along the way. I see myself having already collaborated with well-known hospitality companies and forming great relationships with them. Since I am also getting into product photography I see myself working with top brands all around the world helping create amazing ugc content or maybe even apart of their marking teams.
I might even see myself opening up a studio if that’s a different path I want to go down. But I think, ultimately, in the next five to ten years, I will have fully stepped into that calling and continue building on it—traveling the world and taking pictures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.simonevisuals.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niya_simone8/
