How My Mini Shoot Went With Naomi's Lens

 

When I told myself "I really need a good picture for my BookTok and Bookstagram'' I knew Naomi was my go to photographer!, I reached out to Naomi a week before our exams telling her I would love to take photos for my next book reviews, she told me to inform her as soon as I'm ready, now the only thing holding me back was "books", I needed actual physical books for this mini shoot, so I figured I'll lend from friends, and thankfully, I got what I needed!

Naomi has been my classmate for about 3 years now and I'm not sure when she discovered this photography skill, but now that I'm writing this, I figured I'll let her write about it herself, so I want you to know that in this blog, 2 people did something! Naomi will take you through the photoshoot from her perspective, discussing her photography journey, what makes her unique, why she should be your go-to photographer, and where she envisions herself in the next five years. I’ll share my own perspective as well.

Naomi's POV

When Fike reached out to me about taking pictures for her BookTok and Bookstagram, I felt that warm excitement. It's a feeling I always get whenever someone trusts me to capture their moments, ouuuu...that feeling 🥹. Even though we were entering exam season and everything was chaotic, I knew we could still make something beautiful out of a simple moment😩

I remember when she said, “Naomi I don’t even have physical books yet,” because that’s such a Fikewa thing to say 🌝. But when she told me she had borrowed books from friends, I got excited. I began imagining poses, angles, and how we could turn those books into beautiful content. At the same time, I was also thinking, “Okay, which phone are we going to use?” because I don’t have a good phone yet 😩.

Photography might seem like “just taking pictures” to some, but for me, it’s one of the places where I feel completely myself.

 That’s the joy of mobile photography… creating something amazing with the little you have till you get there 🥹📸

How It All Started...

People often ask me how I got into photography. I believe it's a gift from God, and I love capturing beauty and documenting memories. The compliments and admiration for my pictures inspired me to take it seriously🥹🌺.

I started by borrowing my colleagues phones taking random pictures of friends, school moments, church moments, birthday pictures of my colleagues. Over time, I learned to appreciate lighting, angles, and storytelling. 

Photography became my safe space, a place where I felt creative and happy, even amidst life’s overwhelming moments.

How the Photoshoot Went...

Thankfully, on the day of the shoot, we were able to get a phone from one of our colleagues 🤭. On the day of the shoot, both of us were stressed after our exams, but the moment she arrived with her books, it felt like we paused all the academic wahala and stepped into a soft creative bubble.

I checked the lighting, picked clean background, and started directing her:

“Turn a little… lift the book… pause… hold that smile…”

Soon, we were laughing, teasing each other, and trying different poses 🤭

Every shot kept getting better.

Every angle felt more natural.

And at a point I said, “Ah ah Fike, this thing is entering!” 😂

From beginning to end, the shoot felt effortless, two girls creating something beautiful in the middle of school chaos. When I checked the final pictures, I smiled because they reflected both her personality and my style perfectly.

Why People Should Choose Me as Their Go-To Photographer.

Aside from taking pictures, I genuinely care about the person in front of my lens. I want you to feel and look like the best version of yourself..

What makes me different?

There’s honestly no dull moment with me during a shoot you will smile, even if you say you’re shy 😌🤭.

I talk you through every pose, I keep the atmosphere lively, and I’ll hype you up🤭😂. I’m patient, playful, and very intentional about capturing your best angles without making things feel forced.

I believe the best pictures come from genuine moments,the soft smiles, the laughter in between, and the confidence that shows when you’re comfortable. With me, it’s not just about looking good, it’s about feeling good too ✨

Where I See Myself in the Next Few Years

This is only the beginning for me 🥹, there's still a bright future ahead ✨

I see myself:

Growing from mobile photography to a full creative brand,owning my own camera and home studio,working with clients, brands, and creatives, teaching other students how to build a photography skill with just their phones,using my creativity as another source of income and influence.

Fike's POV

I woke up the day of the shoot feeling eager but super confused about what to wear 😂. Thankfully, my roommate was on it! We went through my wardrobe, tossing outfits left and right.....Trust me! Literally!😂

It was a lot of frustration, but she helped me pick some good ones 🤗. After that, I did my chores, headed to school, and found our phone-lending friend already there 😊.

We'd picked the school's class as our location, and I had already sent Naomi some inspo pics I wanted to recreate. Not surprisingly, she had her own ideas too 😊. We scouted a few nice spots and started shooting. Naomi kept the vibe exciting, even when I felt like giving up 😂. She got a bit annoyed when I forgot stuff like my earring, but we made it work! 👇🏼

We used 3 locations and did some walking with my bag on my back. People were staring, and I felt awkward, but Naomi was unbothered 😂. The shoot took 2-3 hours, and we were exhausted at the end. But seeing the pics made it all worth it!

My fave pic is the one where I have books on my head and I look ...is "shocked" the word now 😂 ... it was random, but Naomi got it!

Funny moments? Naomi hyping me nonstop and calling out my "fake smiles" 😂 made me laugh so hard.

I needed these pics for my book review reels and Dream Count series on IG and TikTok. Plus my profile pictures needed an upgrade 😂. Speaking of Dream Count, check out my previous blog post here and my Dream Count Review Series here

Naomi's direction made the shoot super fun and creative, I loved how she worked with the angles and vibes 📸.

Special thanks to my amazing roommate for walking through hell with me in picking outfits and being super patient with me 😂🤗, my friend/fashion designer 😂 for lending us a phone, and Naomi for making the shoot happen despite the previous exam stress we've been through 😊.

So here's me telling you: when you need that nice picture for BookTok, Instagram, or just to capture a vibe 📸, Naomi's your girl! She's creative, patient, and will hype you up till you nail it 😊.

As for Naomi, I hope to see her doing great things... I love seeing friends crush their goals! 🥹 I'd love to see her build a photography brand, shoot for big brands, have her own studio, and maybe even teach photography workshops 😊. P.S. Naomi, take this as a little way I've had in my head to help put you out there since you're not taking my advice seriously 😂...

So....

Guess who's getting ready to talk night shifts? 😊 In my next blog post, I'll be taking you on a wild ride through one of my night shift adventures... and it's been gathering dust in my drafts for months 🤯. Trust me, you won't want to miss it! 😍 ....

Till then... I'll see you guys in my next blog post...byeee...Oh! Thanks for reading 🥹