Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chelsea Mukenya. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Chelsea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

I’d say my hero(es) are definitely my parents. They’re not afraid to dream and go after those dreams. We’re an immigrant family and they had to sacrifice a lot for us to get here but they also had to have a lot of faith. Through them I’m reminded constantly that ANYTHING is possible even with the smallest amount of faith. I’m so grateful for all the ways in which they’ve supported me in my journey as a photographer. They’ve never said, “that’s too big of a dream” or “that’s a waste of time”; instead they’ve cheered me on from the very beginning because they believe in me and my talent. Often, in the early days, if I was in front of the camera it was either one of them that was behind the camera keenly following my instructions.

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?

I am a 23 year old photographer and I specialize in portrait photography. I began taking pictures as a hobby around the age of 14 but started to fall in love with it and take it more seriously towards the end of 2017. At first, my main inspiration for my photography was clothing and so I’d come up with a concept centered around an outfit and pose with the occasional help from my mother or sister behind the camera. Not too long after, I began taking portraits of other people. Although clothing is still a huge inspiration in my photography, so is nature and my relationship with the subjects. Two of the most common words that I’ve heard used to describe my work are “nostalgic” and “soft”. I’m most proud of my growth over the years and most recently, my work for ilysm.jpg which was my first commission. I think what sets me apart is the distinct tones/color pallet I use in my images.

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

I quickly had to unlearn thinking that if things didn’t go right the first time then I needed to throw the whole project away. This happened early on when I was trying to execute my second concept with a friend and because the first concept came out even better than I had imagined, I assumed this would go the same way. Almost everything that could go wrong went wrong that day and by the end of it I was ready to give up photography as a whole. I remember my mom simply saying the words “just try again.” It was as though I’d heard a brand new concept like, “oh yeah, I can keep trying?!” Ever since then I try to approach every project with intentionality, an open mind and being ready to pivot.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

My social media and word of mouth have definitely been the best source of gaining new clientele for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chelseamukenya

Image Credits
Personal picture: shot by Arieanne Evans