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

Vel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

So I’ve always been a kid who loved cameras. I would beg my mom for a disposable camera if we were out at a store never a video game. So when I graduated 8th grade she gifted me a video camera and the rest was history. I went to high school and began making rap dvds with a friend of mines; showcasing rappers from our high school. In my senior year I took a photography class that changed everything. A year later I would buy my first professional camera and meet a black photographer by the name of Greg Maxx who would teach me the world of professional studio photography.

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 guess for me it was a case of meeting the right people to help lead me into the direction I had already been working towards. Photography was and has always been my first love. It’s taken me around the world and allowed me to meet people from all walks of life. As I was developing my brand “Velimages” I along with my business partner developed our film imprint “1804 Films”.
I started with a focus in music video production which then led us into short films.
We would later learn our way around the film festival arena; winning countless awards and being recognized for our phenomenal work.
1804 Films has been a labor of level building brick by brick a true independent production company giving a voice to the voiceless.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

So back in 2018 I tried to get into Realestate and it didn’t pan out. So in 2021 I took another shot at it purchasing a duplex that need a full gut and rehab. Trying to oversea a project of that magnitude while living in LA was becoming very stressful. I had to put all plans on pause and ended up moving into the property in 2022. I had to fire all the contractors who had been ripping me off and learned to do all the work myself with the assistance of New Contractors I could vet myself. This was a new city I had never planned on living in tagged along with a new journey I had no knowledge of.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media has become such a weird space for me now-a-days. I find myself taking huge breaks getting on/off line for mental stability. For anyone seeking to grow an audience your best bet is to be YOU! Post frequently! Engage! Meet people! Use it as a tool because that’s all the internet truly is. It’s a tool to simplify things. So don’t make social media difficult because it isn’t! Be creative and show off your skills. Be consistent in whatever it is you do and consistently share it with the world!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @velimages
• Twitter: @velimageshd

Image Credits
Jessica Robison