#BGFAcademyAlumni - Kara Blake
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your creative journey?
My name is Kara and I’m a photographer and graphic designer from East London with my background being Vincentian and Jamaican. Growing up my mind was always very imaginative; I think the fact that my head was always stuck in a book played a big part. I would draw, paint, build, design if it was something creative and hands on, I was eager to do it. I began getting serious with photography in 2019, I upgraded my camera and was doing shoots whenever I could.
I started to explore fashion, portrait photography and behind the scenes (music videos) side of things collaborating, doing shoots and attending workshops. Then COVID hit, because of the guidelines and restrictions shoots became less frequent. I knew I wasn’t going to sit around bored at home and being furloughed.
“I’ve met so many talented people and I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work alongside some of them too.”
With the last 4 months being the biggest turning point for me, having the opportunity to work with Beats by Dre and not long after being published in a magazine for the first time. I'm very excited to see how the rest of my journey goes.
As an alumni of the BGF Academy 2022, how did the program support your work?
Being part of the BGF Academy was an amazing opportunity, I’ve met so many wonderful and talented people. The fact that we were able to hear real life stories and get insight into the creative industry from professionals helped support my work. The program supported my work by allowing me to learn a lot about what goes into planning and directing a shoot from the initial brief to the final execution and it also allowed me to have a better understanding of the creative industry, how to network, getting assisting roles, creative jobs, pitching etc which I will help me so much on my creative journey.
Has there been a time where you doubted yourself as a photographer and if so how did you navigate through it?
There has definitely been times where I have doubted myself, imposter syndrome is real and it's something I deal with on and off. The way I started navigating through it was by trying to build my confidence with the work I was creating and concluding that as long as I love what I’m creating, why should I actually doubt myself? However, I know I want to perfect my craft and there will always be room to improve and that’s what I try to do so by buying better equipment, learning better editing techniques, doing photography workshops, networking and getting advice/feedback from other creatives in my field.
Who are some of your inspirations within your field?
One of my inspirations is Tim Walker, in university I remember visiting his exhibition 'Wonderful Things' and being in awe. It was the crazy creative photos that I could only dream of creating. It was definitely an experience that stirred me further into pursuing photography. I left that exhibition feeling so inspired and like the ideas I have in my head could actually be done.
Another inspiration is Nwaka Okparaeke. I found out about her through BGF Academy programme. She was one of the professionals to give us a talk and quickly became one of my favourite photographers. I'm someone who loves colours and I'm always using them in my own work so when I saw Nwaka's images I was amazed, from the creativity to the sharpness and quality in every image. Hearing her story in the program inspired me even more.
What’s next for you on your journey?
I am looking to get more experience working on large scale productions and campaigns with brands. I've taken quite an interest in set design and would really like to explore creating some 'out there' photo concepts. In the distant future I would love to have my own solo exhibition; I can already imagine the vibe and how I'd decorate it but for now I would love to be a part of a group one. I'm also currently researching and finding more about how to do photography and graphics full time.
One piece of advice for young Black girls wanting to pursue a career in photography?
Take up space , if you believe you have talent and something to show the world, please don't be afraid to make yourself known. If you have questions about the industry or how something works, ask. If you would love to have the opportunity to work/assist on a creative project/shoot, reach out to the person, the worst they can say is no.
“It's 2022 and black female creatives are on the rise and the talent is crazy don't for a second think that because your young, black or a girl you can't make it <3”
