We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aikiela Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aikiela below.
Aikiela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Photography has always been something I was naturally good at. Ever since I was able to get ahold of a camera as a kid, I took every chance I got to snap a moment. As technology progressed over time and I started using smartphones, I practiced a lot any given moment capturing any little thing. Food, random pictures of friends, nature, and whatever else I could think of! Last year was when I finally saved up enough money to purchase my camera and bought different lenses after doing research on what I was actually looking for. The main obstacle was learning my camera settings and how to use them to the best of my abilities. I did tons of research, joined Facebook groups, and watched countless Youtube videos just to get the full picture and then everything else skill wise came naturally. Depending on the type of shoot I’m doing determines my train of focus, so I would say being patient is the most essential skill to have when it comes to photography.
Aikiela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was born and raised in Kansas City, MO and I currently still reside here. My family wasn’t the wealthiest and I was the middle child of four children in total, including myself. My mom was primarily a single parent and I had always admired how hard she worked to provide for my siblings and I. Plus, when it came to pursuing different goals, my mother was a huge support system and still is today along with my father who I also have a great bond with. Throughout my childhood and moving into my teenage years, it never crossed my mind what I would really end up doing after high school because there were so many things I considered myself to be great at. In school I was always acknowledged for my accomplishments and hard work, as well as five poems I wrote that ended up being published when I attended Grandview High School which is where I graduated from in May of 2013. From there began the moment where I realized what adulthood would really be like. I attended community college for about a semester and a half before I ended withdrawing from classes. At the time, it didn’t dawn on me how being around the wrong crowd of people could really take a toll you at times and bring you down with those people. So I did what most average young adults do after school and went out with friends a lot having what used to seem like a great time back then, but all the partying ended up costing me several things. I lost my job that I got back in my senior year of high school along with my first car. I learned many lessons during that time of my life and I eventually got back on track. I had several jobs that I maintained for some time before I became a customer service representative for a major bank in 2016 where I stayed with them for about several years. During that time, I had my son, Orion, March of 2018 and I sadly lost my grandfather within that same month. The next year in May, I gave birth to my daughter, Kymauri. Having two children back to back and losing a loved one that I was very close was took a huge toll on me mentally and emotionally. I suffered from postpartum depression and struggled with it for so long, I didn’t think I would ever overcome it but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Eventually I was able to break free from what felt like a dark cloud over and with support from close friends and family, I started up my photography business, Modele’ Photography, last May. I currently work as a Fraud Investigator and in school working towards my bachelor’s in Business Administration, so on my off days and in my free time I’m always hoping work on my photography craft and continuously building clientele.
The name Modele’ actually was an idea of mine I put together combining my children’s middle names, O’Dell and Monaè. The purpose behind my business was to potentially become a full time photographer working for myself, while also creating a legacy for my family and starting a cycle to generational wealth. I wanted to be able to pass something down to my children in hopes of creating a legacy for our family but also doing something I truly enjoy and is a passion for me. My kids are small but they already take interest in taking pictures, so i’m excited to see if that interest goes stronger as they get older. Being an owner and photographer of a small business in a city full of experienced professionals, it makes me very proud of how far I have progressed with everything given that I do everything on my own. Some people have the luxury of having loved ones and friends help them, but in my line of work I enjoy the independence because I have a very creative mind. At times, I may have my friends assist with prop set ups and such, but i mainly do everything on my own which is very a rewarding feeling. When it comes to my clients receiving their photos after a session, the excitement and the joy in their reactions just makes me feel glad each time I send the finished product. That’s because during those sessions, I take my time with my clients and really tend to their needs as far as capturing the moments they want to cherish for a lifetime. I make sure they’re 100% comfortable in the chosen environment and also go over what “insecurities” or “imperfections” they may feel but my ultimate goal by the end of the shoot is to capture the genuine emotion of my clients embracing everything about themselves and the shoot itself so that all the photos are natural and share a story in a sense. Although I do love my current job, I am pushing towards having my own studio space one day so I can truly bring my visions to life! I know in due time, I may connect with the right people to bring that dream to life, but right now I don’t mind grinding for it. It just makes it so much more enjoyable in the end. Even if I never get the opportunity to follow my dreams, Im still glad knowing I was able to venture this journey in my lifetime. Photography is a safe space for me that I know I will always be able to progress in with effort and i’m excited to see what unravels for Modele’ Photography in the near future.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Everything I put towards my business comes out of pocket. Most of the money I got for my camera initially came from money I set aside from saving up. I researched what would be a good, but inexpensive camera for my needs. Eventually I would save up again to buy two additional lenses, but i’m currently setting funds aside for another lens that I would like to get my hands on.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When it comes to social media, Im already a very active person on my personal accounts, so creating one for my business was very simple. I don’t necessarily try to target a certain audience because I do want potential clients to know that I am flexible with the type of work i can produce. The hard part is staying on top being active and making sure to constantly make posts or share new content from recent sessions, but for the most part I tend to manage well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mp-photos-108508.square.site/
- Instagram: @modelephotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mpphotos1395
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aikiela-wilson-364a06217