bipoc creatives: nafisah
tell us about yourself and the type of work you do.
hey i’m nafisah, a fashion photographer based in nyc. my photography explores the experiences and intersections of black culture, femininity, and queer identities. usually telling a story through the lens of fashion.
what inspires you?
a bunch of things inspire me. i’d have to say my identity as black, queer, nonbinary person, my experiences growing up in the bronx, people watching, and other photographers that have come before me. just to name a few.
tell us about your journey as a creative.
i've always been a creative for as long as I can remember. my mom brought me my first camera at 9 years old and I just never stopped shooting. in my teen years I would either be documenting what was going on around me or taking photos for my social media, while still telling a story. when i got to college i would still shoot conceptual ideas but I was studying to be in another field. one day after repeatedly listening to tyler the creator’s ‘radical’ and my psych professor always saying to do what you want in life, i decided to finally live for myself. thats when I pushed myself into shooting more, styling those shoots, and gaining more knowledge in the field.
how did you first get interested in photography?
i grew up in the age of myspace and social media coming to life. i found myself trying to come up with concepts for my profile photos because just taking simple profile photos was boring. i would also catch myself always looking at my family photo albums.
what is a style/trend that is exciting for you right now?
definitely poc in alternative styles and the skirt over pants trend!
what’s next in terms of your career goals?
i’m really interested in being a photo editor for a magazine and an in-house photographer for a black owned brand!
follow @Nafisahs.photocollection