Meet Mikhai “MK” Culpepper

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mikhai “MK” Culpepper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikhai “MK”, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I believe I was always meant to be artistic and speak out in a creative format. Since I was a kid, I knew I enjoyed photos and being able to see an image with a story made me happy. I tried the whole healthcare pathway in high school then attempted a biology degree and quickly changed to marketing. My passion for arts grew over the years and has built a larger purpose in my heart and soul. Art makes people feel emotion and I enjoy making people happy and eluding emotion. Imagine creating someone’s dream set for a birthday or brand photo shoot and they see the RAW images and love what they see. That warms my spirit and amplifies what my purpose is. My current passion project is a coffee table book empowering aspiring models/creatives of the LGBTQ+ & ally community. Through my projects, I want to empower individuals to feel great about themselves and give them the space to use my art in whatever they do to grow. That is my passion!

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.
I started being behind a camera capturing family memories and captivating landscape when I was 12 years old. I am now 26 years old capturing so much from CEOs branding campaign’s to maternity shoots to my own creative ideas. It is truly exciting when I am taking photos and I show someone how beautiful/handsome they are and all they do is smile from ear to ear or say “omg these look so good”. Those are my proudest moments.

My experience with photography honestly dates back to the ‘About Me’ projects we would do in elementary school. I always struggled finding photos to share because my mom isn’t super photogenic or great at capturing moments. Literally only had this maybe 50 page album book with a few images to utilize for my projects. Then at 11 I got accepted into a magnet school called Da Vinci Academy and took the digital media course and was obsessed with our photography lesson. My mom got me a Kodak digital camera and from there I knew this would be my passion. Today, I have built a network with professionals, business owners, organizations, companies and many more to be where I am at professionally. It was not easy at all. I did a lot of free shoots to prove myself which was a challenge because I did not want to give out my talent for free. Those type of things get overwhelming in a sense. Like who wants to do extra work for free… Along the way, I learned that the clients that are for you will be for you (I have clients that I have photographed for years and consistently ask for me). On top of that previous statement, make sure to keep a great rapport with your clients, potential clients, and your overall network because you never know when you’ll be needed. Stay organized and plan ahead of time. Keep up with your network and get a mentor if possible.

I want the world to know that I am here to make a difference and help provide a sense of community to creatives. My goal is to empower my community and show off the greatness in all art mediums. I have a few projects that will be produced this year that’ll be showcasing artist and models. I am super excited for the plans that are coming up and want everyone to be there to enjoy and experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
All my friends are from or live in GA already but if my imaginary best friend came in town for a week long trip, we would first go eat brunch at Old Lady Gang (the catfish and grits go crazy) then stroll down the Art District on Peter St to embrace some Atlanta art. Maybe pop out to Cru Peter St for Happy Hour later. We would do a few hikes; Kennesaw Mountain, Bamboo Forest, or Stone Mountain. Attend more art galleries and the museums like The High and MLK. Definitely have to take a stroll on the Beltline. We will be taking some photos to create memories everywhere. For nightlife, we would have to hit up Edgewood and go to Our Bar, then MJQ later in the week, then Rock Steady on a Sunday or Apt 4B for the upscale music and food. Hopefully Blaq.ATL or ALT ATL host something so we can dance and have a great time too. There’s so much to do in Atlanta from food, art, entertainment, etc. so for instance, we would eat a lot and dance a lot. A final mention would be my favorite soul food restaurant, Big Daddy’s Dish on Old Nat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people I want to shoutout here! Haha! To keep it short. A big one goes to my family and friends, especially my mom. Shoutout to my mentors over the time, ALL my clients, Everyone who has believed in me from friends to people I have met through social media. It goes such a long way when you always keep real and positive people around you. A super big shoutout to DJ Pulce for being such a great mentor in the storytelling business and Brit Sade for believing in me to curate my first gallery! That will be on Mother’s Day. People like DJ and Brit in my life have always helped me to stay ambitious and dedicated to my craft. Come check out ‘In My Mother’s Arms’ at Black Coffee ATL on Auburn Ave.

Website: https://memorieson3.com

Instagram: @memorieson3 & @focusedonmk

Facebook: https://facebook.com/memorieson3

Image Credits
I will credit where/who are in the featured photos; Pride Run ATL @priderunatl, Jordan Singer (Tax Preparer/Content Creator) @jordankaylasinger, @LexxGodReloaded, Shannon Booker @book1914, @gladwemetclothing, & Ebony of Arts