Meet Kareem Nakkash of Los Angeles, CA

 

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kareem Nakkash

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up in the vibrant little city of Beirut, Lebanon, I never imagined that my passion for storytelling through imagery would take me on a journey to Los Angeles. After completing my degree in TV and film, I made the bold decision to start from scratch in LA in 2021, just as the pandemic was subsiding.

I discovered my passion for photography at 16 when I would take photos at school trips and collect memories of people I was close to. At that time the financial situation was unstable and I knew I had to do something, luckily, I was able to use my skills to generate passive income so I started offering shoots for friends and acquaintances at a low price just to get through the month. But I knew my creative potential stretched far beyond still images. I began exploring video work, and before long, I was hooked. I started taking on bigger projects, working with clients from local businesses to global brands. I found my niche in portraiture, fashion, product, and event photography, and soon I was applying my expertise to short films, music videos, concept dance videos, and TV commercials.

The dreamer in me took a leap of faith when I moved to LA, with no solid plan in place. It wasn’t easy – the lows far outnumbered the highs – but I persisted. I worked as a barista to make ends meet, but I also landed some incredible opportunities, covering Los Angeles Fashion Week and working with top designers and brands.

That determination paid off when I landed my first gig in TV as a story editor on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, followed by associate story producer roles on Ultimate Girls Trip and The Surreal Life. Now, I’m at a crossroads, shifting my focus back to creating digital content. I’m excited to build a new path, one that will eventually lead to my own production company, where I can bring stunning imagery to the world.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the main obstacles that I had faced were getting distracted with full time jobs that I didn’t necessarily enjoy doing but I had to due to the circumstances which held me back from being able to explore further creative opportunities. The unstable safety and political situation in my home country which created lots of anxiety and trauma, especially with the war back in 2006 and the big port explosion in August 2020, which was during the pandemic. Lots of financial struggles since I had to pay for my university tuitions and not having enough aside to invest in my career.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I like to think of myself as a multidisciplinary artist, as much as I enjoy and focus on doing portrait photography/videography and doing fashion and product shoots, I like to dabble in the wide spectrum of anything production and arts related. From creative direction, visualization, execution, sound, makeup, styling, choreography, editing and much more, I enjoy all the elements of what make up a beautiful outcome and generates a spectacular piece of art. But I would say my main strengths stand out when I’m behind the camera and editing material to create the final result.

Any big plans?
As I mentioned earlier in my story, after making a shift into the world of TV, I’d like to move back into exploring the digital content creation within an agency where I feel I would be able to leverage my creativity and skills in a way that I enjoy more, I am also planning on working with some of my favorite artists by directing their music videos and/or visualizers. I would also like to work on a feature length dance film and I draw a lot of inspiration from choreography and body movement, this is something I always like to integrate in my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.kareemnakkash.com
• Instagram: https://Www.instagram.com/kareem_nakkash

Image Credits
All photos were shot and edited by me.