Tell us about your background and how you became an artist.
My name is Kamaya, and I’m a photographer born and raised in Vancouver, BC. Growing up, my family and I always went on little hikes, road trips, and camping trips in the summer. I remember always ending up with my mom’s camera, taking photos of anything that caught my eye. Over the years, I grew to love taking pictures. It was peaceful and calming, like I was in my little world, capturing a moment in time—whether it was a fallen leaf on the sidewalk, my friends during sunset, or the family blasting Usher’s “Confessions” in the car.
When I earned enough money, I bought my camera and brought it with me on my adventures. I found inspiration through my travels, taking photos of surreal landscapes and the beautiful people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting throughout my life.
What are your main sources of inspiration and how would you describe your style?
I would describe my work as vibrant and limitless. Over the years, I’ve worked with themes of landscape and portrait photography, always trying to capture the essence of a moment or a person to bring the photo to life.
What is your most cherished project or piece and why is it special to you?
My most cherished piece is a photo I took on top of Mount Seymour during sunrise. It was my first-ever backcountry hike overnight, and I was quite nervous. Thankfully, my friends and I pushed through the uphill challenges and set up camp at the top. In the morning, we woke up early enough to catch the sunrise. Opening our tents and peeking out, we saw the sun’s rays appearing over the mountains. It was one of the most breathtaking moments I’ve ever experienced. It took me back to my childhood, where I felt like the world and time had stopped moving, just like when I was with my family at a campsite in the summer.
What challenges have you faced in your artistic journey and how have you overcome them?
Some of the challenges I have faced over the years include a lot of self-doubt, thinking I’m not good enough or my work isn’t good enough. I didn’t have a lot of confidence as a kid and was bullied for not fitting in with my peers. I never wanted to be the center of attention and found comfort in hiding behind my camera or going off for secluded walks. Looking back now, I realize how much I’ve grown out of my shell. Instead of hiding behind my camera, I found a way to use it to help uplift my voice and the voices of those around me.
What is your creative process like and do you have any specific rituals or routines?
My creative process involves a lot of brainstorming. For most of my creative shoots, I write ideas in my notes and sometimes sketch a rough copy on paper to make the idea clearer. I then add notes for any extra considerations like lighting or props. If my shoots include working with a client, I ensure our ideas align with what they want.
One of my biggest focuses while shooting is lighting. I love capturing different angles or shadows and working with contrast and exposure. Throughout my work, I always try to incorporate a bit of contrast to make details more visible and have the colors pop just enough to give life to the image.
When I hit a creative block, I find it helpful to disconnect from social media or any distractions where I might end up comparing myself to others. This can get overstimulating and cause a loss of inspiration. I usually disconnect for a few days for a refresh and go for nature walks. After this, my creative mindset feels rejuvenated.
Have you collaborated with local artists or organizations, and if so, can you share some highlights?
In the past few years, I’ve had the honor of working with fellow local artists and communities in Vancouver, which has been incredibly inspiring.
One of the first artists who reached out for a collaboration was Breece Austin, a local artist who creates beautiful fine art paintings of Vancouver’s landscapes. We planned a shoot together to highlight some of her most cherished pieces. It remains one of my favorite shoots, and it was rewarding to see our vision come to life.
I also had the pleasure of working with Emerald Osagie, a talented singer-songwriter based in Vancouver. She has one of the most mesmerizing voices I’ve ever heard and has become an amazing friend. One of our first shoots was at Beat Street Records in downtown Vancouver. I focused on capturing her love for music, letting her pick out some of her favorite artists and capturing her in the moment while she listened to them.
One of my most recent shoots was with “Girls We Do Adore,” a local organization run by Jade and Jara. Their main focus is to build community and connection through music, art, and curated events. I attended a few of their events and shot one of their most recent ones for Mother’s Day. It was an amazing day filled with heartwarming stories and good vibes all around, and I felt extremely blessed to capture the strong and beautiful women that day.
How do you connect with the local community through your art?
I want to connect with the local community by allowing people and communities to uplift their voices and capture their stories, which may often be overlooked or undervalued. Everyone has a unique story that is worth sharing.
What are your short-term and long-term aspirations as an artist? Are there dream projects or collaborations you want to pursue in the future?
Some of my short-term aspirations are to continue working with communities, uplifting their stories, and capturing more of my journey along the way.
For long-term goals, I aim to build my portfolio to host an art gallery of my most cherished pieces and other works by local artists. I think it would be amazing to have my photos displayed on a wall for people to see.
One of my dream projects would be working with J. Cole or Little Simz, as they have been huge influences in my creative journey. It would feel like a full-circle moment.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists in your community? How do you balance pursuing your passion with practical needs?
My advice for aspiring artists in my community is that no idea or story is too small. To manage the balance between pursuing my passion and meeting practical needs, I take breaks to recharge so I can show up for myself and others fully.
