We had the good fortune of connecting with Malaysia Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Malaysia, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

I started taking pictures in 2010 when my late Grandma Boot (God rest her soul) purchased a Sony snapshot camera for me. Around that time I was still in high school. I would go around and take pictures of all of my friends in my close knit community. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and during that time period, social media wasn’t so massive as it is today. I would provide my friends with the pictures via email and they would post it on Myspace or Facebook. In my close knit community, I was the photographer that just captured the moments. After high school, I took a step back from doing photography and focused on a career in the medical field. It was not until my second to last semester in undergraduate studies that I was forced to pick up a minor in order to stay full time. All my college friends at the time were taking up complex minors such as genetics and biology. But, I felt since my major was complex, there was no reason to pick a complex minor as well. So I took up a minor in art because I have loved to draw since I was a child. Going into my minor, I took so many art classes such as Modern Art, Latin American Art, Painting, and of course, Digital Photography. 
Digital photography was one of the best classes I took. My professor made all her students purchase a DSLR camera. I purchased the Nikon D3400. This reminded me so much of me taking pictures of my neighbor friends when I was in high school. The assignments that the professor made me perform were so unique and abstract which brought me back to wanting to pursue photography again as a career. The last project I completed in this class made me sointrigued to know that I had a skill set that would forever be with me which is  capturing moments in real time of others. My last class project was with my good friend Darrien Maynard, who is a professional track & field triple jumper for Nike, Reebok and Adidas, which  ultimately determined my passion to pursue an artistic career in photography.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business, ML STUDIOS, is a sole proprietorship that is owned by me. I curated the idea of starting my business in February 2018. My love for photography motivated me to create a business focused around lifestyle photography. I am the founder and creator for ML STUDIOS. This organization is  orchestrated where clients are able to book me and also receive creative direction with no additional cost. Not only is ML STUDIOS known for capturing moments of clients during their special occasion, we also take great pride in detail, precise judgements, critiques, and creativity put into each shoot. Every client wants to feel like the best version of themselves when they book a shoot. When I have a client, I will make sure that they get that and more, down to every single detail. My business is more so of a friendship that allows you to understand that you can trust me with your vision and make it come to life. With that being said, my business is very thorough with rules and policy like any other business. But that all pans out as I am willing to do whatever in my power to make sure your shoot is a success.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting the area and I wanted to show them the best time ever, I would take them to a few places. Some of those places would be NYC Skyline Cruise, Cape May, Bowlero, Cathedrale Restaurant, New York Art Gallery, DUMBO, and the New Museum. In my view, I think the most fun and interesting places to check out are the New York Zipline Canopy, Palisades Giant Stairs (Hiking), Grounds for Sculpture, Ashbury Beach, and Steel Pier. The most exciting people to meet are everyone that you run into on your adventures.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my a few people. First, I would like to thank God for allowing me to have this gift of taking photos professionally. After, I would like to shoutout my late grandma who brought me my first camera to start off my photography career. Next, I would like to shoutout my professor Corinne Botz who re-directed my passion for photography in her course. After, I would love to shoutout my siblings and close friends who pushed me to go harder for my business and take it to the next level. Lastly, I would like to shoutout my clients, because without them I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them. They play a large contribution to my growth within photography which is shown by my work over time.

Website: mlstudiosco.as.me

Instagram: @mlstudiosco

Facebook: ML STUDIOS CO

Other: Tik Tok: mlstudiosco

Image Credits
All images are taken by myself, MALAYSIA LEE. 1. Geneno – Balenciaga Shoot 2. Engagement Shoot 3. Natasha W. – Fendi Shoot 4. Natasha W. – Fendi Shoot 5. Tema – Birthday Shoot

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