Meet Amirah Ibrahim: Freelance Photographer, Creative Director, & Video Editor

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

Hi Amirah, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe in the saying, “YOLO”. We all will eventually die, as negative as that sounds, it is the reality so you might as well live a life doing the things you love. I’ve always tried to go above and beyond in everything I put my mind to whether that be in or outside of school. Taking risks has always been a part of my life since a young age. Not a lot of people know this, but I spent my freshman year of high school living in Egypt with no friends or family. I went to Egypt to learn Arabic and take time off my studies before being assigned tons of classwork. I created my business at the age of 16 with no knowledge of how to run a business, informing others, how to meet potential clients, etc yet I decided to create it because of my love for photography. All I knew is I could create something big if I start now and that’s exactly what I did.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
To first start off with what sets me apart has to be my appearance. I am an African American Muslim Hijabi, so if that doesn’t set me apart I don’t know what will. But all jokes aside, I wanted my craft to be focused on people who are not represented a lot in the media. I am currently in the works of a project that focuses on Muslim hijabis and their stories behind wearing the hijab. My main goal with my photography is for people to see the uniqueness in each individual. Something I am very proud of is my work getting the recognition it deserves, but it’s only the beginning haha.

I got to where I am by overlooking the negative comments and perfecting my craft. As I already mentioned I started this business at the age of 16 and creating your own business at a young age is definitely not the easiest. A lot of people did not book with me or take me seriously because “I was too young” or “I am not a qualified photographer”. However, the negative remarks never discouraged me but motivated me to do and become better.

I learned that you shouldn’t let negative comments affect you and that it should be motivation for you to do better. I also learned from my experiences that it is okay to do and be something different. Do you and never let the standard norms discourage you from not focusing on your hobbies/craft. I want everyone who is reading this to know that although my image/appearance is portrayed as something negative in the media, I am the only one who can write my own story and you should be able to do the same.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I don’t go out a lot, but a few spots in Chicago, that I love to go to are the museums, the Uchicago campus, neighborhood parks with friends, and boba shops. If you ever come to Chicago it is custom for you to get Harolds. But when it comes to foods I love, it has to be Mediterranean food. A few restaurants that offer Mediterranean food in my favorite spot: hyde park has to be, Roti, The Nile, and Cedars Mediterranean kitchen. We also have the best pizza, so definitely check out Papa Johns, Giordano’s, or Italian Fiesta. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to give a huge shoutout to my uncle: Abdul Brimah. He bought my first camera and lens after seeing the photos I took with my phone. He was one of the first people to start believing in me and my photography journey.

I also have to give another huge shoutout to my sister and mom. Whenever I had a shoot I needed to attend they always drove me to it without any complaints.

Next up will have to the Hyde Park Art Center on the south side of Chicago. They host after-school programs for any form of medium. I learned the basics of photography and my passion for photography grew when I first started out there.

And lastly, my friends. As I stated before I had no clue on how to run a business, but one thing I knew for sure was I needed a portfolio. So, I used my friends as my models to help me build that base.

Website: www.amirahibrahim.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byamirahibrahim/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirahib/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/amirahib

Image Credits
All Pictures Shot By Amirah Ibrahim