We recently connected with Caly and have shared our conversation below.

Caly, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Being motivated to do so I learned the most about photography by just studying any camera itself and honestly YouTube. Learning how to shoot in the manual mode is most essential when it comes to photography. Shooting in auto limits you tremendously.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

A visionary with a passion for Photography… that’s the way to like to describe myself. Making my vision come to life through photography has truly been a journey. I always had a love for art since I was younger but wasn’t sure of where to take it. I always was excellent in drawing and was absorbed deeply when it came to analyzing all kind of other avenues of art. To make a long story short, in the summer of 2006, something just made me want to purchase a camera. I can honestly confess that I didn’t know where this thought of wanting a camera came from; all I knew is that I had to get one ASAP. Being an impulsive Taurus, I quickly purchased a Cannon EOS Rebel K2. The fact that it was only a 35mm didn’t hinder me at all. All I knew is that I now had a camera and I wanted to take some pictures. I starting taking pictures of objects, people, landscapes, animals and everything else that caught my eye in that moment. During this time, I still wasn’t very confident in my work but people started to pay attention to what I was posting on social networks. Having people become interested in my work, I found myself having conversations about what I was creating consistently. Before I knew it, I was labeled as a PHOTOGRAPHER. People’s reactions to my work took me by surprise at times because I thought it was just typical hobby images. So, I tried to go the extra mile to get more familiar about the craft. I signed up for college and attended art courses at Baltimore City Community College. Believe it or not, while being an Art major at BCCC college, I didn’t have not one photography driven course. That didn’t stop me at all. I had all these ideas, Youtube tutorials lol and motivation to create. In 2010 I decided brand my work and came up with “McCaly T Photography”… that has now transitioned into “Pics By Caly”. Being content and persistent with branding myself, I still feel like this is where I belong. While adding work to my portfolio every chance I get, my skills continue to blossom, as well as my supporters who make me feel on top every day. With this being said… I lost a hobby and gained a passion!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that my art is not to appease others and that it was solely for me to express and fulfill my own desires. I recently just stopped doing client work due to this. Photography started feeling like work vs. the strong passion I possessed before. Now Im doing it for me and it feels amazing.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is that I am able to connect with others without using a single word. Having people wanting to purchase my work and place it in their space speaks volumes to me. I’m simultaneously fulling my passion and theirs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://picsbycaly1.wixsite.com/picsbycaly
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatscaly/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamia.mccalip
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/McCalyTPhotography

Image Credits
ME