Today we’d like to introduce you to Cahlik Douglas.
Hi Cahlik, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Well, to think about all of the events in my life up to now, I would say it’s definitely been a journey full of fortunes and misfortunes. Despite how young I am I had to wrap my head around the fact of I started out as a just photographer back in high school. Before Fashion came, I was a straight technical photographer learning a camera from inside and out. Then you get into the perspective that to be a good photographer, you must know the basics of camera work you learn that every camera you touch comes pretty easy. That’s what I thought, that’s all it took to become a good photographer, I was wrong. As a photographer, it’s definitely a lot more than you think. Especially if you wanted to improve. In my high school years, I have been straight practicing with the camera to understand the camera, to understand composition, to understand lighting I was learning all of this pretty young because of the interest I have in it. In my last year of high school, my photography progression has been astonishing. It wasn’t until I started posting my work on Instagram. Gotten more praise and you see the progression. At the time I was shooting any and everything I didn’t have a particular style I was searching. It wasn’t until I got into yearbook and started taking portraits and grad portraits. It was something about a portrait that shook me the elegance. From there I focused on taking portraits, and it went from that to posing people. Throughout that time of taking photographs of my friends, working sport events throughout school that’s when people started to know me as Cahlik the photographer. I had an English teacher whom I was pretty close to he was also a photographer took spectacular images composition on point. One day he contacts me about a wedding he asks me would I like to solo shoot this wedding. I would say this was my first-ever paid shoot. The wedding being all the way in San Diego. The day comes I am nervous but confident because he told me how he wanted the images to look. As I am in a uber to San Diego, I get there, and little did I know my teacher was getting married. I was in shock but in a very calm state of mind. As I get to the wedding, I meet his bride; I shoot an entire beautiful wedding. This was the time before spring break. During the time of spring break, I thought on the shoot, and he was telling me how much of a good job I have done. I didn’t own my own camera at the time either he offered for me to use his camera to shoot. I would always check out school cameras to progress my work as a photographer. A little after spring break I find out my teacher/mentor had died. The fact he’d had just gotten married he died. Now I think in sorrow to myself. It hit me for a time I had even taken a break from photography because of how that hit me. Most people didn’t realize how much it actually did hit me. I always had a way of controlling my emotions through hard times. Months go by, it’s time to graduate. I graduate, and my teacher’s wife comes to the graduation. She gifts me one of his camera. That being the first camera I have ever owned. I feel as if I carry a legacy holding it knowing who it belonged to before. I take the gift and keep moving forward as a photographer and continue the legacy in my own path. Going into college straight out of high school had been an interesting transition. You get a taste of reality and having to take even more responsibility. I had to grow up real fast and just learn as I go. Through the first year of college, I was still taking portrait-like images. I would always contact my friends to dress up and have them pose. Doing that up until my second year I discovered that I had a friend that was wearing a really nice outfit. I was taking her images and realized one-word Fashion. When the pandemic hit, I discovered Fashion. That’s when I started being active of Instagram more following all different types of fashion. For a time during the pandemic, I would still contact old friends I knew to have shoots with to improve my work. I took it a step further when I started getting into the studio. I love the ideas I can really bring out in a studio I have full control. This is when I discovered that fashion. is something I want to shoot. I started studying what is fashion, how it ties into art, how I love to make a woman look like a goddess. I was always into Kings and Queens and Gods that is how I can represent fashion into the men & women I shoot. I was shooting in practice mode working, driving out to LA to practice keep trying to improve & finding my go-to style. Fashion photography is the one. Though being a brand-new fashion photographer is can be tough. From professors to other artists and creative directors, I got my work ripped through. They tore me up. They got on my model selection, clothes selection everything. But that is actually how I became a better photographer. Those moments is something I need to adjust and keep going because that is what going to make me a better photographer. That’s when I discovered it’s going to take more than talent to really compete in an industry like this. As an artist I am always learning I’m forever going to learn, just as a person I am humble enough to say I am not perfect either, but I have a vision that I will achieve. I have to master my craft I have to put in all of the hours to keep evolving. I love to see the beauty in clothes, people, locations, lighting, and colors. Combining it all into a narrative. Fashion photography is notoriously difficult to define. To create some divine images, you would have to established a team of people you would trust that goes from the clothing stylist, make-up artists, even hairstylists, and the photographers of course. In my process currently have a certain amount of people I work and trust to make all of our visions appear that’s always the photographer’s job not just selling a pretty face but able to tell a story a narrative which all goes in the actual clothes themselves. Post covid, up until now in my career I understand more. I not only evolve as a photographer but as a person. The way I shoot now I totally different than before because now I need a team to create the images I create. I work with professional models to create the Images I create to evolve and bring out souls lit souls on fire. As creatives we have a drive of sitting souls on fire.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing is a smooth road trying to become great or even the best version of yourself. To achieve something, you have to try and fail. I have to master my craft to go further into the industry. The real struggle is getting out there and learning more of the business side of things. The real struggle is getting clients to attract to you. The real struggle is I realized how competitive it is to really go far, but I am willing to give it my all as I been doing. To achieve my dreams, to travel, and to keep taking images of faces.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a fashion photographer. I love to shoot editorials. I work with various of models to achieve the word Divine in my work. I love to see the beauty in clothes, people, locations, lighting, and colors. Combining it all into a narrative. Fashion photography is notoriously difficult to define. To create some divine images, you would have to established a team of people you would trust that goes from the clothing stylist, make-up artists, even hairstylists, and the photographers of course. In my process currently have a certain amount of people I work and trust to make all of our visions appear that’s always the photographer’s job not just selling a pretty face but able to tell a story a narrative which all goes in the actual clothes themselves. I am most proud of how far I have come and how much I learned from peers and the people I have met up to this point. I take everything I learn I tie it into my work, and I created my own style. My ability to adapt on set has I say gotten even better that just comes from experience at this point I been a photographer for about 6 years now.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Take advantage of time. Take action. Understand your value and where you stand. Always be open to learn.
Pricing:
- Fashion brands – $250 an hour
- Luxury/Designer/Campaigns – negotiable
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cahlikdouglasphotography.net
- Instagram: @i_amcahlik
Image Credits
Aila Brown
Sam Cota
Ardree D Merriweather Jr.
