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

Hi Shayla, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My most meaningful project was with my client Aisha. Aisha is a cancer survivor and her sister, Kiara, reached out to me because she was familiar with my work. She was CONFIDENT that I could give her sister what she needed . Kiara wrote and said,” I was hoping that through the amazing work you do that you could help her see the beauty in her own skin.” She then goes on to describe my work as something that “provokes the natural, beautiful, sexy, confident woman.” I was HONORED that someone would entrust me with this opportunity and admired my work enough to believe that I was the best woman for the job. When the day of the session had arrived, we ( Aisha, Kiara and Asia – my sister/makeup artist and right hand) experienced such an amazing time. Halfway through the session, we all broke down in tears because we were witnessing and experiencing a miracle! It was the most meaningful moment because during that session Aisha got to see just how beautiful, sexy and powerful she was! This was significant because Aisha had been living with cancer and lost most of her hair, with only her closest family knowing about it. During this time she had been wearing a wig to cover up her hair loss. Except that day she was comfortable enough to allow us into her world and be vulnerable. She removed her wig and let loose and showed us who she was before her diagnosis! She exhibited that same confidence after the session when she allowed the rest of the world to see this part of her journey! Again, I was HONORED and also amazed at God! By empowering her she empowered me! Which is ultimately why I do what I do. I’ll FOREVER remember this experience because it taught me that you never know who is watching you and needs what only you can offer!

Shayla, 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?

My name is Shayla; I’m the owner and photographer of EYE’Monea Photography LLC. I picked up a camera to express my creativity through a different format that was separate from fashion and being a makeup artist. Something that started as just another outlet for creativity, turned into what would take care of me financially! I’m a fashion/editorial photographer who specializes in Boudoir and Lifestyle photography. Most of my clients believe they are not “models” or “camera ready.” I believe what sets me apart from others is my ability to essentially “gift” confidence. To explain, when booking services with myself and my team, our clients leave confident and believing they can dominate in whatever lane they occupy! I also do professional headshots and social media content creation for businesses on any level! These services help to polish the business and take the stress off the owners of trying to stay up to date with today’s trends! My team and I have been featured on SavageX Fenty, Shea Moisture, Me and Somebody’s Son, and Cantù Beauty! I am most proud and want my fans/followers to know that EYE’Monea Photography is a one stop shop! We not only provide photography and content creation, but we also teamed up with Eyeful Visions who provides makeup artistry and styling! We work very hard to ensure that each experience is unique and is as seamless as possible. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond the call of duty. When you leave a session with us you become a part of our family!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part about being a creative is not having rules. With no rules comes the ability to think outside of the box and experience the limits that only your mind has. If you can think it, you can create it and I believe that is a superpower! Another aspect of being a creative that I find edifying, is not being limited to only one avenue to create. I believe there is art to be found in everything so to be able to explore it freely is incredible! I chose photography as my main platform because I can create something that is beautiful, freezing a moment in time. These same moments create my legacy as they are passed down from generation to generation!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

My side hustle did in fact become my main/full time career! I started photography in 2017 as a hobby. I continued working my full time job in order to fund my business until 2020 when God told me to quit my job and work in my business full time. I was terrified at the thought that I would only be able to count on God and my business to provide for me. But I’m SO glad I did! The job I was working was such a toxic environment. It placed limits on how creative I could be and when I would be able to create. It depressed me so much that I did not WANT to create. Being able to do my business freely was the most liberating thing and ultimately what my business needed in order to scale up to the place it has today! If I could give any advice, it would be to BET ON YOU and don’t live in the “what ifs’! You’ll never know if you can do something until you try!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/eyemonea_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyemonea

Image Credits
My personal photo was taken by Aisha Maness of Wonder Blue Creative. All makeup was done by Asia Nivens of Eyeful Visions