Today we’d like to introduce you to Maymunah Kelly.
Hi Maymunah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In terms of photography, I started off in college registering for a beginner class my sophomore year. I didn’t like the homework of “bring 180 images every class”, so I ended up dropping the class after the first day. I wanted to experiment and learn at my own pace, without the pressure of showing my work to a room of people twice a week. I also needed time to learn. And do majority of the years up until now, it’s been learning, learning likes/dislikes, lighting, angles, weather and locations. It’s all learning. But it’s also been falling in love with my work, as that has taken the most time. As an artist, creating that bond with your work sometimes is the most difficult process, especially when nearly everyone else that practices the same craft feels like a comparison. Even to this day, learning to love and appreciate my work is a daily reminder.
As for film, while figuring out the paths that were available to me and where I wanted to be, I was a costume design major at one point. Roughly 2yrs of it in fact, and somewhere around junior year approaching and me examining the ‘French Renaissance’ esk coat I had produced I realized I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I had always voiced I wanted to pursue film. But somehow and somewhere along the way I lost that. I ended up transferring schools, moving back home and changing my major to communication & media—or filmmaking. It started off rough, as I always surrounded by those that had been exposed to the medium earlier on in their high school years or had bigger and better connections. But, I found my way, I found my space again Junior year, I discovered cinematography. I was a sub for a previous director of Photography my sophomore year on a short film shoot. Her Mother had gone into labor and I had to cover the day. And something clicked that day, I became less of a wander to different positions to gravitating to one. Being behind a camera. I had already done it previously over the years with carrying my camera every where I went. But, not I could see the visual storytelling aspect in movement, lighting, framing, in not just still images but moving pictures. It was honestly the biggest shift I had ever felt.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think it’s been an easy route for me or anyone, it’s just the way you portray and handle the struggles in your path. It’ll make others believe your journey has been easy, in reality everyone has bumps. Mine borders on the procrastination process that I struggle with daily. I think it’s my greatest bump in my road. That not doing for fear of being judged or not being good enough. Very “imposter syndrome”
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As of right now, I’ve had this insatiable wanderlust, so much of my works reflects that. Portraits of people, videos of my travels. Most of which are packed in someway in a hard drive or a drop folder.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
As a Muslim I don’t believe in luck, as that’s more of gambling and a guessing. I believe that everything happens for a reason, whether we like it or not what’s meant to be will be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://maymunahkelly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mmoonay?igsh=bGc4em5nYjZ5MmFo&utm_source=qr
- Twitter: https://x.com/_mmoonay?s=21&t=C7WwFW94vr6WYijwmra1MA
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mcmoonas?si=pGjfYqVtRo6iMCPn
