Meet Jakiera Daniels | The Visual Voice for POC & LGBT

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

Hi Jakiera, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
The creative path came naturally to me. As a child it was therapy so once my mom brought my first 110mm film, two eyed Fisher Price camera as an eight year old it became a constant in my life since. She realized my passion for photography and brought my first professional 35mm SLR for my 16th birthday and by 19 I was booking weddings and more. All that I know is self-taught and all that I don’t know is learned by way of passion and instinct. When I approach photography it’s to capture the feeling, savor the moment, preserve the culture, and relive the memories. I am a documentary photography because that’s what’s natural for me. I’ve been keeping a journal from as far back as 9 years for the verbal expression of my feelings and I’ve been capturing photography for the visual expression of my feelings.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe what sets me apart from others is my ability to capture what I feel, the truth about people and who they are, and the emotions of the moment. Documenting what is, instead of creating what isn’t. Nothing about being a professional photographer is easy; competition is thick, and since cellphones people value us less and less. For 2 years I managed to run a business as a full-time photographer but I never made enough during that time to stay above water so it lasts as long as my savings account lasts. Much of your time as an entrepreneur is spent on back office work, marketing, and advertising. This is most painful because as an artist you only pursue the business for the passion of doing the art and not the business. So what I’ve learned is to find creative and unconventional ways to make money through your photography skills so that you can spend more time doing what you love. At this point in my career I am pursuing my ultimate role as a photographer by documenting personal travels for LesbiFriends, capturing their experience, savoring their memories, and being proud of it! I am the Voice of the Greater Globe: Women, Children, Minorities, Homeless, and LGBT so capturing for this group allows me to fulfill much of my purpose.

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.
I’m from Columbia MD, where you can drive from one side to the other in 10 minutes or less. 30 years ago majority of the town was farms, and you could count the traffic lights. It’s expanded and grown greatly but still nobody’s “city” so I’d take my company to Baltimore or DC for entertainment. All things black-owned and only during the warm season when festivals are every weekend. We’d start the day at Teavolve cafe for brunch in Baltimore, and then spend the day at Druid Hill Park for AFRAM (African American Heritage Festival) or Baltimore Pride, or downtown for ArtScape, or The Lyric Opera House for a Ledisi concert, or Merryweather Post Pavilion for Wine in the Woods. In DC, we’d have lunch at Milk & Honey, sightseeing the monuments/museums, then lunch at Nu Vegan, the the rest of the day at Freedom Plaza for DC Emancipation Day, or National Gallery of Art for Jazz in the Gardens, or Southeast for Anacostia River Festival, or Southeast for Art All Night. The most fun, interesting, and exciting people and places are anywhere we are! And anywhere we are free to be us; playing spades, smoking (and I don’t even smoke!), playing loud music, showing off how good we look, and most importantly, enjoying one another.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mommy, supported and help build a passion she noticed in me early on as a child. Ms Vicki Davis, business mentor that helped me turn a 15 year hobby into a professional business.
Street Meet DC, for creating a local meetup that I could use for practice in honing my photography and communication skills.
Lisa Gomes of LesbiFriends Travel, for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity join her groups of 20 as their personal travel photographer.

Website: https://jephotography2017.pixieset.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jakiera.photocollection

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JakieraPhotoCollection/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JakieraDanielsJakierasEye