We recently connected with Lionel Noah and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lionel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Being a soccer athlete while attending the University of Tampa, I picked up modeling to make money on the side to sustain my college living necessities. As I became more involved in the modeling industry, I started working with more people in the industry for print work, especially photographers. The more I shot with photographers, the more ideas came to mind, and unfortunately, I felt that they would be better executed by me. At the time, I had no big vision.

It all started with me purchasing a $100 point-and-shoot camera, which back then was a risk as it required me to invest my meager savings. Shortly after purchasing my first camera, I began taking pictures of friends and strangers all around campus and in the South Tampa area. And because of the support of my friends who all showed up when I needed subjects, I was able to experiment quite a bit in a relatively short period of time.

A few months in, I received my first paid job request. Now, keep in mind that I was a full-time student and athlete. So I would use whatever free time I could find to explore this new craft. After receiving this paid job, it became clear that I was sitting on something worth pursuing more diligently. This was later reinforced when I received an offer to shoot for a prominent magazine in South Tampa.

From there, I jumped in with both feet and used my craft in most of my marketing & entrepreneurship classes. With the help of professors and friends, I was able to build a vision around my newfound love (craft) and build a business around it. Today we have worked with major brands all across the state, and have received several awards for the work we have created thus far.

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’m a Cameroonian currently living in South Tampa, FL. I moved to the US a little over a decade ago to attend the University of Tampa. As I became a print and runway model, I fell in love with being behind the camera and seeing ideas come to fruition.

Today I am a portrait, fashion, and commercial photographer who was recognized as the 2019 and 2021 best fashion photographers in Tampa, FL by nationwide sources. This would not have been possible without the constant support of family, friends, and a never-ending learning process.

Seeing Lionel & Co. go from nothing to being recognized throughout the state, and being able to work with great brands/ individuals and been extremely rewarding. We focus on quality and strive to provide the best quality of work to all of our clients irrespective of the project.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The one goal that drives me is simply striving for excellence. No matter the project, client, or subject, providing the best service/ work remains at the core of my mission. This involves constant learning, and resilient nature, as we know how demanding trailblazing a path in the creative world can be.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Resources are available everywhere. Because I never had a mentor throughout my journey, there is some information that I learned the hard way when it could have been learned through other sources.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lionelco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lionelcophotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lionelcophotography

Image Credits
Lyric Mickell Mia Jenni The Bramty Family Sophia Franceschini Chelsea Marie Polina Pyshkina Vivienne Prince