We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kadeeme Kamise a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kadeeme, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The only art pieces that were in my home growing up were the drawings from my brothers and I. The only photos were the tiny ones we stuffed into photo albums. It never actually dawn on me that we were “poor” until high school when I visited the house of a classmate and saw large art pieces and family portraits on the walls. I remember thinking “so these things aren’t just in the homes of rich people from TV?” Sure, their living room felt like the size of my entire house and their kitchen was a completely separate room; not just the corner of the living room that was differentiated as a kitchen simply by the fact that the fridge and stove were located there, but none of that stood out to me like the walls.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself I doubled down on what I already did. These art pieces were created by human beings and the portraits were too so I decided then and there that I would create art just as amazing but make it accessible to those who grew up in similar financial circumstances to me.

As the years rolled on and I began to foster stronger relationships and engaged in deeper conversations I realized how many people around me were struggling with a variety of things, from self-esteem and confidence to varying types of abuse. My photography for those individuals a lot of times was a breath of fresh air but I realized then that I needed to have my art reach more than just a single individual at a time because so many of us can relate to these stories. The thing is that, I too struggled with self-confidence, perfectionism, or what I like to call self-awareness. I constantly put off creating my pieces because I didn’t have everything perfectly in place or wasn’t at the talent level to achieve the desired outcome for an idea, but a decade ago that all changed. Sitting on the couch in my small Jamaican house, in deep thought about creating empowering pieces, coming up with every excuse to put it off until I was “better prepared”, I heard a loud crash. When I went out to check, there he was; someone who worked at my middle school for years. He was on his usual morning bicycle ride, I imagine with all the plans in the world for later that day, that week, that month, and in a split second he was gone. It was the wake up call I wish I didn’t need.

Since then I have worked hard to put my work in more public settings, established a social media presence, created a website but most importantly, worked with my community. Helping to fund the soccer program for youths that would otherwise be hanging with bad circles is one of my proudest acts. Another was having proceeds from my holiday special go towards a family that was displaced from their home. I have definitely been blessed with the opportunity to positively impact the lives of countless individuals, many of whom needed a little reminder of how amazing they truly are.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started with art originally; pencil to paper. My love for photography blossomed in high school when I got my very first camera and brought it to school to catch hilarious off-guard shots of my friends so that I could tease them (no I was never a bully, they really were my friends and it was all in good fun). As the years rolled on and my conversations with friends became deeper and more meaningful, I transitioned into shooting to help with self-love, which so many of them struggled with. Since I started with teasing my friends though, I learned from early where memories truly lie. You see, we love the super clean images in the moment but the off-guard, goofy shots are the ones that I find are cherished years after the shoot because they tell the joy of the moment and that is why I add a special folder whenever delivering client images of just those shots. So the super clean and aesthetically pleasing shots help with your self-love and confidence now while the goofy shots are for future you to look back on and reminisce on the joy of that time you had.

For my corporate work I aim to give the clients more than they requested. I do this because I understand what it is to put your all into something and then struggle to get others to put that type of love and care into that thing, since it isn’t there own. Because I understand this I try to give them my best as it pertains to creativity and targeting, so that their business is showcased in the best light possible and they have content they can use for an extended period, over multiple platforms. If I had to say what sets me apart, it would simply be empathy. My ability to see things from the perspective of my clients, be it corporate or private individuals, has led to me always going the extra mile in tailoring shoots to them and their needs specifically.

What I am most proud of though is the work outside of photography that photography has helped me to undertake. From starting a soccer program for the youth in my community to raising funds from a holiday special to help a family who had just lost their home, photography has helped me to impact the lives of those around me positively and not just the specific individuals that I shoot. That’s why my next step is to work on personal projects meant to resonate with large groups, and then have the sales of those prints/merch etc go towards the various charities I’m interested in helping. It’s such an amazing thing to be able to make the kind of impact we dreamt of making as kids.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Well the easiest story to tell for this has to do with me moving to America. I had made a name for myself in Jamaica and started working with a lot of major brands so to move here and start over from scratch was always going to be a huge undertaking. What I didn’t anticipate however was Covid. I moved to the US in February of 2020, just weeks before the country went into complete lockdown, with me having no stable footing. There I was with no connections, being an expert at a craft that demanded human interaction, at a time where saying “good morning” or any other greeting was seen as an act of attempted murder. The fact that I was able to establish myself in the country and go on to make the impact I have so far I believe is a testament to my resilience.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Word of mouth (referrals) is forever tried and true. I find that when you go above and beyond for your clients they naturally choose to brag about you and so you end up receiving calls from individuals connected to them who already trust you, and love your work, and their only concern isn’t even cost, but whether or not you’re available on their chosen date and time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kadeemekamise.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadeemekamise/
• Twitter: https://x.com/KadeemeKamise/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kadeemekamise