We recently connected with Skyye Kimmons and have shared our conversation below.

Skyye, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

**I feel like I’ve told this story a thousand times, but it’s important for people to understand this so they understand my journey. I found photography on the day my father passed away, which was 8/19/21. You see, he was the photographer of the family, and so was my grandfather before my dad started. I had a couple of disposable cameras as a kid, but it was never my thing. I never would have believed you if you told me I’d be here doing this.

When he passed away, I was in his room talking to him, and he was laid there because he was at home when he transitioned. I found his camera bag, the same one I use now. I said, “Nobody is touching this. I’m going to learn this for you and carry the torch.” So I did. Over two years later, this is the only thing I desire.

I quit my full-time job in the US Postal Service after 12 years, with three of those being in upper management. I was also working as an HR recruiter for a non-profit agency. I hated it. All I wanted to do was take photos and create. It became my only love. So I said, “I’ll die trying before I die”

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 got into the business of photography by going onto Instagram and reaching out to Chicago photographers that I admired. My first mentor was Andrew Thomas in Chicago, and he taught me everything I know now about lighting. Then I found and followed Bryant Mastermind Aguirre. I had no idea who he was at the time, I just knew I had to learn from him. He allowed me onto his team, and that’s where I flourished. I got to know about the business side, how to create a following, how to stylize my work, and most importantly, he taught me how to edit my own stuff. He was my first insight into the fashion side of photography. I took what I learned and ran with it. From him, I started working next to Blake Martin, and he taught me about finding my voice in photography. I cannot thank him enough for challenging me to figure out what I wanted to say with my work and to make it all make sense and be intentional.

What sets me apart hands down is my eye. I call myself Skyye the Eye. Nobody shoots like me. My angles and perspective are unique to my shooting style. People have copied, but they don’t see what I see through the lens. You can’t learn that. It’s in you. Also, I have crazy ideas that I’m not afraid to try. I seem to constantly be thinking about what I can do next creatively with my portrait work.

When customers book me, they can expect something different concept-wise that you won’t get from my colleagues. I don’t do ordinary birthday shoots. I’m gonna put you in a blue gown, in the blue waters, with live blue crab with Swarovski crystals all over the crab, or I’m gonna shoot your bridal photos with you on a pair of stilts to make you look like you are 10 feet tall. Or I want to make you face your demons and confront things from your past that made you better today. That’s why you book Skyye. If you want a cake with number balloons, then go to the next photographer because that’s boring to me. Each concept is art, love, and fearlessness. I like to make a woman feel powerful and seen. My portraits show the soul inside. That’s why I live.

I’m most proud of being published over 200 times in international magazines and magazines here. I am definitely an editorial photographer and now videographer that understands what that really means. You get a lifestyle from my shoots. Period.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One thing that noncreatives will not understand about my journey is how I could leave two careers were I was making $101K a year combined to be a photographer that started from the bottom doing shoots for free and buying all the clothes the models wore. I wanted to do me. I always loved the arts but never felt I was good enough. I sing, wrote songs, I dance, I see movies and photos in my head all day. I would take my laptop to work at the Post Office and edit photo shoots instead of doing audits on the mail flow. I didn’t care about that anymore. I feel like we only have one life to live. If I die tomorrow one of these pics is going to still make someone smile, I hope, in 10 or 20 years. No one’s is going to care that I made sure the mail got delivered on time. Or I hired the supervisor that runs a department. That’s replaceable. No one can do what I do the way I do it. I rather die broke than retire with a pension. But let’s hope I don’t die broke. Fashion photography is expensive.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing about being a creative is when someone I don’t know comes up to me and says they loved a particular portrait I created and how it made them feel. To feel seen by a stranger or understood by my peers through my work is all the happiness in the world to me. I don’t do this for the likes and follows. I do it because these images live in my head and I want to leave them in the world. That’s my legacy.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.skyyekimmonsstudios.Com
• Instagram: @I_amskyye
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.kimmons.73/
• Youtube: @skyyekimmonsstudios
• Other: Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/people/199425011@N04/ Tik tok: https://www.flickr.com/people/199425011@N04/ Buy my art: www.Skyyeshotit.Com

Image Credits
Models: Jared, Nikki Chachere, Jose Peña Velazco, Maxine Black, Anthony Elkareh, Deontae Curry, Jake Feeney, Ean, Sam Latronico, Raphael Osammor