Ayla Shakir (11) is a student photographer who uses her abilities to express herself in different ways. She finds joy in taking photos for other people and for her own personal happiness. She has started her own photography account on Instagram to display some of her work and share it with others.

   “I started to get into photography because my entire family are all photographers, and they persuaded me to try. I get a lot of inspiration from them and they keep me motivated,” Shakir said. 

   Some of her biggest inspirations to keep doing what she loves can be her own family members and those around her. Having people there for you to keep up with your passion is important. 

   “My biggest motivators would be my dad and uncle because they were the ones who got my first camera and really took the time to teach me everything they know,” Shakir said.

   As she kept up with her progress and photos, she wanted a way for her photos to be looked at and admired by others. She created an Instagram account that displays her work and her progress from the beginning. By keeping up with the account, she is able to constantly look forward to more opportunities.

   “I started to post my pictures on Instagram as a motivation to keep going. Also, it’s a way to show my work to people who may not know who I am yet. Another motivation I have is a small photography business that I started myself. I work with people who want to get photos taken for an occasion or just for fun. This helps me because I learn something new and they get new photos to post, and then in return I can use the money to take my photography to the next level, “ Shakir (11) explained.

   The account has brought Shakir many new opportunities and she is able to now make money and be able to continue to move up in her photography career and bring the skills along for the ride. These skills can come along for the future and still remain as a hobby or job.

   “I would love to keep pursuing photography throughout highschool and hopefully college. Photography has taught me a lot about business and I would love to keep it as a side job in my future,” Shakir (11) said.