We had the good fortune of connecting with Yams aka GotShotByHer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yams, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
In my experience, I had sold my equipment twice. But after I did that, I’d still get people reaching out for a shoot, I was still having dreams about being able to pay bills/live life/travel and being fulfilled as a photographer and giving back to the next generation of female photographers. Those are the reasons I kept going, because deep down I know I CAN live this dream of mine. To inspire those who has or had cancer, was or still in special ed., was or still in the adoption agency. That they too can become whatever they want if they’re dedicated to it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For the first couple years I was capturing street art, concerts, and working with music artist/Record labels just trying to figure out what I want to focus on. Fast forward to now, I am working with a female artist named Kéo ( Iamkeoofficial) being a content creator/friend. We’ve been working together since October 2019, and its been great so far. My proudest work with her are the music video’s we’ve done. How did I get to where I am professionally; never stop learning & always keep going. Do what you can with what you have. No it wasn’t easy sometimes its still not easy. A lot of artist in the industry want you to work for FREE knowing that artist Is known and does have money to pay you, but chooses not to. There were some gigs I got that were paid and some that weren’t. I overcame those challenges by knowing my worth and saying NO more. So now if I feel it’s not paid or of substance, I kindly decline and move forward. As before when I was younger, I said Yes to everything. I am a genuine person who is very communicative with whoever I work with. Id like to always make sure the client/artist is happy with their content, and that we are on the same page to move forward with the project so we can execute it by having fun and also having respect for one another regarding time, deadlines, & of course payment. What I would like for the world to know about my story/brand is I am a female who has survived cancer, survived being in the adoption agency/ being adopted, I was a special ed student, and Im learning about myself everyday and that will never stop. Id also like for them to know that I have a future plan on how to give back regarding other females who are also photographers/videographers etc to give them a platform to get hired and recognition for their work.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
1. Renee (@missezrenee) is a female business owner/influencer, she resides in columbus ohio. She has her own clothing brand @prettyasfvckclothing shop some fly items for your wardrobe!

2. Kareem (@CadetCouture) is a fashion designer who resides in Atlanta. He has worked with celebrities/influencers like @thefashionfreakk, @youngisblessed, @theralanais, @_chinesekitty, @ashanti & more etc follow his designer page @cadetcouture.co to see more of his work.
3. Monique (@momoblacksheep) is a boxing trainer/life coach and she resides in LA. She has her own business @mija.fitness where she trains the youth, adult boxing & is a life coach. DM or email her for training, she’s great at it.

Website: vsco.com/gotshotbyher
Instagram: @gotshotbyher
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGqNxX99TdwThmdS0pmn2PQ

Image Credits
photo taken by mua @Hediehthefacemaster | assistant @momoblacksheep | Artist @IamKeoOfficial

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