Meet Kiaira McGill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiaira McGill. 

Hi Kiaira, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
So, I first got introduced to photography back when I was about 12 on a trip to Mackinac Island with my family. My dad had brought our family camera along, and I remember asking him to use it, and he said yes. That was the first time I remember holding a camera, and I took photos the entire trip. After that, when I got to high school, I found out that we had a film Photography class. I immediately signed up and absolutely loved it. My parents could tell I was interested, so they surprised me for my 16th birthday and bought me my first DSLR camera. I carried that camera with me everywhere, and when I became a senior, I joined the yearbook team as the lead photographer. That really opened me up to shoot everything from sports to musicals to random portraits in the art hallway for interviews. That year I decided I wanted to pursue photography as my job, and thankfully Lansing Community College offered it as a major. I enrolled there and just graduated this past Spring with my degree. Today, just like in high school, I love photographing anything. From astrophotography to Summer Walker, I’ve had the opportunity to work and meet a lot of creatives in different spaces, and I can’t wait to see what God has for me in the future. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, it has been a pretty smooth road and I really owe it all to my parents. They were the ones who originally saw that I was interested in Photography and bought me my first camera. They made sure I had everything I needed so I could edit and post as smoothly as possible. Even when my first camera randomly stopped working while we were on a camping trip, my dad drove me the next morning to The Camera Shop and bought me a brand new and better camera so that I wouldn’t miss any shots that weekend or moving forward. They have truly supported me the whole way financially and even emotionally when I would get frustrated with some photo assignments in college. I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So, like I mentioned, I love to photograph any opportunity that comes my way. I wouldn’t say I have a certain niche, but I do specialize in creating amazing photos that freeze time and capture moments perfectly. As far as what I’m most proud of, I would say for this year it’s my concert images. I’ve had the opportunity to shoot artists like Summer Walker, Amine, Cochise, WESTSIDE BOOGIE, and more, and I’m so proud that my talent and work allowed me to get amazing shots at every concert. I know I still have a way to go, but I also can stop and look back and see how much I’ve grown in this year alone. 

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
It might not be seen as a risk for others, but for me a risk that I took this year was reaching out for help. I’ve always been someone who is independent and didn’t like asking others for help but getting into concert photography really pushed me out of my comfort zone. To be able to get media passes to shoot, since I don’t work for a media outlet, all I could do was research and reach out to people via phone calls or cold emailing. Sometimes it paid off, and I got approved to shoot, but more often than not, I got declined or worse, nothing back at all. I had to realize that if I want to get into this field, I need to set my feelings and pride aside and just reach out. I’m glad I’ve been pushed to do so, and I know it’s gonna help me long term as well. 

Contact Info:

• Website: kiairajordan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiairajordan/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KiairaJordan_ 

Image Credits
Kiaira Jordan