Meet Nailah Barcelona of Nailah Shy Photography in North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nailah Barcelona.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I found my passion for photography and graphic design at a very young age. I was inseparable with a camera; whether it was a disposable camera, an old school film camera or a point and shoot. I was the volunteer photographer any event! My parents bought my first DSLR camera when I was 15 years old. Because of the gesture, my interest for photography grew. I was learning how to use a camera’s manual settings and how to implement photoshop with photography.

At 16, I was first published for the Beverly Hills Kitchen cookbook. For the Beverly Hills Kitchen, I was hired to take photos of  their events and their food. I found my passion as a side hustle while studying at Santa Monica College. I switched majors to Photography after realizing my passion and talent had made me the happiest. Regardless of what my previous majors were, I loved photography and filled up my schedule with a photography class every semester. My favorite subject to photograph are cosmetics. In 2015, I was able to publish my own photobook called, “Waves”. I had an event for the launch and showed my work to all of my family and friends. 

Fast forward to September  2018, I decided to quit my job to pursue photography as a career. After 10 days of quitting, for fun, I decided to photograph images of Kim Kardashian’s Cosmetic line KKW Beauty. The following day she responded to me that my images were beautiful and had my images on her IG story linked to her website. I took that as a sign that I could pursue my passion as a serious career. 

Today, I am interning at Rose Studios LA and pursuing my business as a freelance photographer. I have been collaborating with many local business owners, bringing our collaborative talents to life. I am so excited to see what lies ahead for my art. I love what I do and the impact my images make. I love seeing my clients’ vision come to life.

Has it been a smooth road?
It wasn’t easy and it still hasn’t been easy but I am confident this is my path. I am a first generation immigrant from the Philippines. I came to the U.S. with nothing, my family came here in hopes of a better future. My parents believed photography was always a hobby and I had to prove to them that Photography was my future. It was difficult to try to prove to them and make something of myself. They supported my photography the best way they could, but I know my parents were traditional. They just wanted a better life for me after all.  

The journey towards loving my work wasn’t a smooth road, I have been fighting within myself and grew insecure about my craft. The negativity and doubts led me to believe I was never going to make this anything more than a hobby. I questioned “how would I make photography a career?”. I worked other jobs to sustain a living and kept photography on the side or often times neglected it. Neglecting my passion led me to suffer from depression and anxiety which prevented me from being my best creatively. I was always afraid to pursue my passion fully. I grew older and felt like I was wasting my time. Which now I learned that all I needed to do was to trust and believe in myself. Not many people may not realize this now but your mental health and happiness is very important. You have to take care of yourself. You have to put yourself and what you feel is good for you first. Neglecting my passion led me to neglecting my own health. It only made me suffer and sit within my own misery. Overtime however, I started to grow as a creative and as a person. It took me pursuing my passion and quitting my stable job to understand this. I knew I had to quit my 9 to 5 job working at a luxury hotel. I took a huge pay-cut for my happiness. While trying to transition into a freelance photographer, I also had a lot of personal things in my life fall apart at the same time. I struggled but I do not regret the decision! It was the greatest thing that happened to me. I know this is my journey and I will continue in bringing my work to light and furthering my growth. Like what Kanye said, ”people are so scared to lose, that they don’t even try”. Take the chance and do it for you, you are worth that chance!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nailah Shy Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
As a freelance photographer, I am known for Cosmetic Product Photography. I work with mostly small businesses and I am proud of my contribution in bringing quality imagery to them. I am proud to be part of their journey. I want to bring their creativity and ideas to life. There is power in beauty and cosmetic photography. Making my client / model feel confident in themselves and their products. I take ordinary products and make them look beautiful but marketable for the competition. The images open an opportunity for consumers to understand how the product will make them feel and the intention of the business. I take pride that the work I do is more than photography. It is an expression of the people behind the image and what the product represents.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think product photography will be more than what it is currently. It will be a contributing factor in defining businesses and business owners. It has the potential to help show a spectrum of representation of consumers for different races, religions, ages etc. The industry is already headed in that direction through social media and the fight for representation. I hope businesses will continue on designing products for all demographics. I think product photography can help emulate that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nailahbarcelona.myportfolio.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Instagram.com/NailahBarcelona

Image Credit:
Monica Torres Monica-Torres.com

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