We recently connected with Yasmeen Mustaklim-Pico and have shared our conversation below.

Yasmeen , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Although many photographers boast fancy art degrees, mine are in marketing and horticulture. I didn’t go to school for photography. I learned mostly by watching famous photographers I worked with as a fashion stylist. I also learned a lot working 5 days a week as a product photographer. Repetition is the best way to learn. Constantly shooting, constantly testing yourself and most importantly learning about your camera, your tool. My biggest obstacle was making that investment in a professional camera, which was really more about an investment in myself and a commitment to make it worthwhile.

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 needed a change. And after working with and watching inspiring photographers like Albert Watson, Mark Seliger and Martin Schoeller, I knew that was my next step. In 2013 I went from shooting friends to scoring a full time job as a product photographer. What I was shooting didn’t matter. The most important part was learning my lights and how to work in a studio environment. With portrait photography, I use natural light if at all possible, but the experience was invaluable. In the meantime, I photographed tattooed models and products that related.
My recent focus has been on Joshua Tree Prints, shooting landscape and making art prints so that desert lovers can take a piece of it home with them.
I aspire to get back to shooting people with this beautiful desert as my backdrop.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The allure of shooting landscapes and nature began when I moved to Joshua Tree. The desert has a multi faceted story to tell. I’m hoping others will see the story through my photography and of other local artists stories as well and take action to help preserve this place that is like none other on the planet. Awareness is key and often you can get more attention through showing the beauty and life here rather than telling people about it in words. I hope that if people can relate to the desert’s beauty, they will become more invested in its future.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I began to focus on photography after dealing with some major health problems that would be impossible to manage in the demanding world of fashion styling and costume design.

That was a major pivot for me. I never planned to do anything else. I loved my work. I was 25 years in.
Finding photography as a creative outlet was a lifesaver for me. It helped me to feel like it was a continuation of what I had been doing before, but from a different perspective.

Contact Info:

• Website: Joshuatreeprints.com
• Instagram: @joshuatreeprints

Image Credits
Yasmeen Pico