Today we’d like to introduce you to Sierra Levy.
Hi Sierra, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
It was my senior year and I had always been interested in the creative arts. At my high school, which was in Oklahoma, the yearbook was made by students who were in the Yearbook class and the only way to be involved was to be in the class. I had never done something like that, but I wanted to push myself in my last year — I also loved (and still do) being behind the scenes and getting things done. I convinced the Yearbook teacher to tell the counselor to let me into the class. He was a teacher and also a full-time photographer! He was well known for his photography, which meant I would also have the opportunity to learn from him. My first time shooting was during this year and I am so glad that I had, like a light, flicker inside of me to point me to photography.
Now, when I was in Yearbook, we used very expensive cameras that were gifted to the school specifically for students to learn. I think the camera I used was a Canon Mark-something. I just remember it being super heavy and very expensive. Once I got to college, I knew that photography was something I was still so interested in, but I did not have my own camera. It wasn’t until the end of my first semester that I told my parents I wanted to continue photography. And so, on Christmas of 2015, my parents gifted me my first camera — an EOS Rebel T5, which is a starter DSLR.
Once I got my camera, it was only up from there! Now, it wasn’t until October of 2016 when I decided to start photography for real. I made an Instagram account and my first “project” was titled “To Be Black in America,” which I started in January of 2017. I even had made a free website for it on WordPress. LOL. The website is actually still up today.
From 2017 to 2019, I had over 50 photo shoots that consisted of senior portraits, headshots, and group photos for campus clubs and organizations. This does not sound like much, but being a full-time student, having a part-time job, and being very involved on campus took a lot of my time! But photography was always there…as like a creative tool to bring me back to the present.
When I graduated college in 2019, I moved to Dallas to teach math! And here I am, nearly three years later!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? No. Will it ever be smooth? Probably not. Most of my struggles, in the beginning, were because I was very shy and did not like to draw attention to myself or my photography if that makes sense. And this was because I was not confident in my abilities. I always compared myself to every photographer I came across. Being a “creative” is so hard. I felt like I would never be good enough or never have enough clients or never have enough photos for my portfolio. It literally was not until I moved to Dallas that I had to confront these limiting beliefs.
For years I had been so negative about my creative abilities and it finally caught up to me in 2021. During 2021, I had maybe, 10 total photo shoots. I only told my close friends and family that I was in a deep creative drought. Those closest to you will always try their best to uplift you when you are down. When I explained what I was feeling, I was always met with “but you’re a great photographer!” or “but your photos are so good!” That was great to hear, but it never stayed in my heart. I knew to others it probably was amazing, but to me it was subpar.
One of the hardest things about being a creative is how easy it can be to compare yourself and your work to others. It is so hard to not put massive pressure on yourself when you see others doing well. I would say jealousy has to do with it, too. That’s where the comparison issue comes from, in my opinion. It’s like, I would see others doing great and see their Instagram popping off and I would just be like “that’s great, when is it my turn?” or “amazing for them, but I will never get there.”
Words have power. Don’t compare yourself. This is all a part of the process which, to me, is scary but worth it in the end.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a photographer, my main goal is to make people feel good about themselves. I attached some testimonials from past clients because my work speaks for itself.
“I have always hated getting my pictures taken because I never liked the outcome. I rarely ever posted my pictures or shared them. THEN I had a photoshoot with YOU and wow let me tell you, I LIKE HAVING MY PIC TAKEN NOW. Not only did I love the outcome of the photoshoot, but she taught me how to be comfortable while taking my pictures. THANK YOU ❤️” – Zena
“I’m in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. I left my full-time job; I’ve recently been discharged from an outpatient hospital. I’ve felt better but at the same time, I’m still lost. I really value pictures taken of myself because it helps me understand who I appear as, and it makes me learn to appreciate myself more and as a result, ground me mentally.” – Brandon
“Sierra has grown so much in her craft this past few years. She’s such a joy to work with and has taken some beautiful pictures of my daughter and our family. My daughter affectionately calls her “Ms. Sierra who took my Bianca Belair photoshoot”. It’s such a beautiful memory for us. Her work is so beautiful, she’s super professional/reliable and always gets pictures back to us so quickly. Truly an amazing photographer and artist!” – Cynthia
These make me proud to be a photographer. Everyone should experience the feeling of looking at a photo of themselves and instantly going, “wow, that’s beautiful.” Photography is a way for me to help others express themselves and feel GOOD.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think the visual arts industry is changing every day. People are starting to recognize that photographers and videographers do more than just snap a photo and record a video. So much goes into this art, and we should be paid for it without any pushback.
Contact Info:
- Email: levyexpressions@gmail.com
- Website: levyexpressions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/levyexpressions/
