Today we’d like to introduce you to Adyera Robinson.
Hi Adyera, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
When I was in Middle School, I made and presented a Prezi Presentation to my parents because I wanted a camera, and they wanted to make sure that I would truly use it and that it was not just something that would become a dust collector in three months. Following that, I was gifted my first camera, a Nikon Coolpix L330. I took that camera everywhere. Mostly, my little brother’s sporting events. Sport and nature photography were my first encounters with the craft. I then went on to join the Yearbook team in high school. There, I gained more of an appreciation for photojournalism and documentary photography. After doing Yearbook for two years, I decided that I wanted to delve more into my own style of photography and see what kind I liked to do.
I minored in Photography in College and learned my way around a DSLR. Once Covid hit my sophomore year I, like many others, picked up a ‘new hobby’ and decided to try to take photography a little more seriously. I saved up and bought my first DSLR, a Canon EOS 5D at Peace Camera in Raleigh, which, after some research, I felt would best fit my short-term photography goals. I took on Graduation and Birthday portraiture shoots as I learned a little bit more about my style and how to go about taking portraits for clients. Things started to pick up from there. I made creative concepts and invited people to model for them, and I went to Tabeling events such as the Black Creative Exposé to showcase my work and to meet other creatives. Whilst doing this, I was still taking bookings for Graduation Shoots, for the most part, among Headshots as well.
Photography took the back burner, as I was preoccupied during my last semester of college with my internship and finishing the final requirements for my degree. Post-Grad, I’m still trying to navigate life outside of Academia. However, I am currently making strides to get back into shooting again regularly 🙂
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has most definitely been a journey. There are so many photographers out there that it is hard to avoid comparison or think that there’s nothing different to bring to the photography world. Photographers are Artists, and Art is subjective. Everyone has a distinct creative ability, and once you realize that and find your artistic niche, there’s no stopping you. I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and gone to tabling events, shoots, and creative meetups, and not once have I regretted pushing myself to further my journey as a Creative. It can be anxiety-inducing, and I did not feel confident enough to do those types of things and to stand next to my work, but that is a mental block that I worked through and still work through today. It may be challenging, but once you get started, it is so worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in Creative Portraiture Photography, and one of the things that I’m known for is double exposure / creative edits. I enjoy experimenting in Photoshop and make works that fit my eye; I always try to create a new one per shoot and have even had shoots where clients have asked for me to replicate one of my previous works in a unique way for them. My editing style sets me apart from others, and though it is still something I’m honing in on, some of my portraiture ideas help me stand out. The work I am most proud of is my senior project. Titled ‘The Growth Project,’ it was the first time I did anything of that caliber. Here is my Artist Statement For ‘The Growth Project’: “The purpose of this project is to showcase the growth of artists at UNCG. Many artists suffer from imposter syndrome and fall at the hand of comparison. My goal with this project was to showcase that we as artists, are improving over time, even if we don’t see it as we work on it day after day. I have utilized projection and motion blur to conceptualize the passage of time in my images. Also, with this being my final project completing my photography Minor, I wanted to challenge myself in hopes to catalyze more improvement as I continue to experiment with projection and low-light portraiture. All the artists pictured are volunteers that heard about my project via social media, discord, and the many flyers that I posted around campus advertising the opportunity. I hope to continue this project or something similar in the future and push myself socially and creatively as I grow as an artist and continue to pursue photography post academia.”
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
To go for it! You will not get anywhere if you do not share your Art. Get out there and create the work that YOU want to make. Make Art that speaks to you, and the people meant to join you on that journey will find a way into your life. Also, put yourself out there and find your creative community; it’s more fun that way.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
@sinematicpapi
