Meet Shamari Ferguson of Inkster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shamari Ferguson.

Hi Shamari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It all started when I was a kid watching movies and I saw most scenes as pictures that just moved. As much as photography itself began in high school where a random circumstance gotta me put into a photography class and when I got into it, I took off running. I wanted to be the best at it got all the strategies and all the grace that did it and I just great. They took great photos. Just maybe expand their work as well, especially creators and black photographers and we just don’t get as much recognition like. Gordon Parks, Vuhlands, and Willem Verbeeck. And they are also my classmates who were in the class with me made me want to be better like Jovan, Stephen yeah even people outside of the classroom like Marsnappedit. So when I finish high school, I went out to go college of creative studies in Detroit study photography but at the time covid just started classrooms was limited and when I was there, I never felt as comfortable even though I did have the resources I feel like I wasn’t being taught nothing I did not know myself or learn from even YouTube so during the whole time I felt lost and I started just freelancing and creating with bigger artist, even with local artists in the city and Klaveren with some of the best names in the city photographers and Creatives in the city.

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?
No, they haven’t been any smooth roads I think as a creative we have to challenge ourselves every day or even a week to see something different because when I first started, you had to take free gigs and some people say guys is wasting your time, but I don’t take it as much as that because every experience is a growing your experience itself and what I find as easy as self as now today is fine other Creatives that you are in the same filled with ask for help as your mentors ask the people you’re looking up to even if they don’t respond ask for help sometimes we see a world as like self entrepreneurs and they say they do it all by yourself. I was like I don’t think anyone does it by themselves. They have people around them who are talking to them or giving advice and great fellowship is stuffing in our community of ourselves.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What I do that sets me apart from others is that I mostly shoot on film and I take my time. I’m picking shoots I do I do mostly Creatives and bring most concepts to life in every step I think of the lighting or even what film were shooting on time of day, even the wardrobe itself and hair how it’s supposed to look I take particularly cost in time and care for each step I do for each shoot I do. and what are most proud of is a collaborated shoot I did with Jovan Robinson and August Maria we created a powerful series with women in suits, and we went down to every little detail of how delighting and how we wanted people to stand in structured to themselves in the photos, and I was proud of myself of how the photos came out itself.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What truly brings me joy is the act of creating and capturing moments through photography. I find fulfillment in directing and collaborating with friends on various projects. Being part of a creative journey, whether it’s my own or someone else’s, makes me feel connected and inspired. I love contributing to a meaningful story or structure, and it warms my heart to help others express their creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mariwthcam.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariwthcam?igsh=dWc4cHpmNnR1czcy&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mariwthcam?si=LxPssHv8CfGiY0HL