Today we’d like to introduce you to Nabeeha Ghani.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
During the summer prior to my seventh-grade year, my mom got her first iPhone. Yes, my family was a little late to the cell phone trend, but immediately I was drawn to the tiny little camera in her phone. I believe I have a very particular way of looking at things, such as paying attention to the way morning sunshine hits the wall adjacent to my window or the way the bright pink flowers on the Crape Myrtle trees look against the cloudless, blue sky. Finally, I had a way to portray what was floating around in my head in a physical medium: a photo! For three years or so, I used an iPhone 5 to the best of its ability; I played with lighting, colors, angles, filters, and all sorts of other aesthetic components. One of the first few photos I shot on the iPhone was one in a parking lot in front of some store my dad had stepped in to run some errands. In order to pass time and kill my boredom, I grabbed my mom’s phone and stepped out of the van into the almost-empty parking lot and took a photo of a row of bushes. I posted the photo on Instagram after editing it in VSCO, an app I still use today for all of my photos, and it got tremendously positive feedback from my friends and family.
Soon, I begin taking photos of my siblings, and before I knew it, I was doing creative photo shoots with my friends and relatives involving paint, books, trees, silhouettes, and all sorts of other crazy things. I posted my favorite ones online and got encouraging responses which led to a stronger motivation for me to continue what I was doing. However, after a few years, I felt as though the iPhone was limiting me now that I had explored every corner of is abilities and so I decided to save up money – by selling a butt load of cookies at school – to buy the camera I use today. It was an amazing investment and now, after beginning a photography page on Instagram, which also acts as my portfolio, I have gained recognition for my work, networking opportunities, and a client base I love to work with. I am presently a teenage freelance portrait photographer who is self-employed and gaining success through hard work, dedication, and passion. Additionally, I have met such a diverse group of people who I’ve been granted the pleasure to work with and it has led to personal growth that I am so grateful for. It is so fulfilling to work with people because I am able to learn from them and I hope that I never stop doing what I love, even if it is only a hobby in the future.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a portrait photographer, meaning I take photos of people. I am a more creative artist, meaning I enjoy experimentation with various effects and props. A couple of my favorites are unique lighting and paint because there is another art form in the art of photography which I get to play around with before snapping the photo and I find that to be quite exciting. I always try my best to let moments happen naturally before taking the photo and I have learned that candid photos are almost always better than staged and forced photos. The message I want people to understand is that any person can be an artist, no matter who you are. Even though I did not receive all the necessary support from my family in the early stages of my photography, I used it as motivation to strengthen my drive to work hard and attain success by being discovered by the photography community. All of the people in the photos are ordinary humans, not professional models or anything, but I would like to think that they still look great in the photo. It is because I have created a sense of comfort for them to be able to express themselves in the photos and to be themselves in a natural manner.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Social media is an excellent method by which you can connect and network with either local artists or even artists who live across the world. I have had the pleasure and opportunity to communicate with several models and photographers who I resonate with, all because of my online platform on Instagram. Undoubtedly, I would have never encountered these individuals had it not been for my Instagram presence. Don’t be afraid to DM someone who you think has a beautiful feed or a nice editing style because a simple compliment could turn into a great friendship. Remember, you always have room to grow and that you can always learn at least one thing from someone else, so open yourself up and take steps to undergo personal growth and meet new people who could potentially teach you a thing or two to aid you in the future. The artistic community on Instagram is truly welcoming, warm, and supportive and I really couldn’t have asked for a better niche to belong to, so don’t be afraid to take the initiative of putting yourself out there and reaching out to others.
Contact Info:
- Email: nabeeha888@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/nabeehallucinations
Image Credit:
Nabeeha Ghani
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