Meet Amechi Onuorah

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amechi Onuorah.

Hi Amechi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Amechi Onuorah also known as Meez. I am from Prince George County Maryland. I moved to Orlando three years ago after I graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax VA with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and have been here ever since. Here in Orlando I work as an Engineer and Photographer. Photography has been one of my passions that I have been involved with for about 4 years now.

When I first got into photography, it was merely just for fun. I have always been into fashion and had an appreciation for the way it was captured in pictures. It was my second to last year of college when I first picked up the camera. My girlfriend at the time used to model on the side and she so happened to have a camera too. I believe it was a canon t4 rebel, a nice starter kit camera. One day I had told her that I wanted to start taking pictures and she let me use her camera.

It started out with me just taking pictures of my friends for fun. I would bring the camera with me whenever we got together and would capture the moments we all shared. In addition, since my girlfriend was a model, I would try to experiment and capture conceptual shots that we thought of. Keep in mind during this time, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, the auto setting was my best friend on the camera. I did not really start taking photography remotely serious until I started getting requested for photoshoots. I did graduation shoots for my friends and after posting them, it got pretty good feedback and next thing I knew, I was doing graduation shoots for other students on campus as well. With every shoot, I learned more and more about how to use my camera and then got into post-processing to develop some image retouching skills. Getting into photoshop was very intimidating at first, but I am so grateful for youtube. Learning how to use the tool and trying different creative edits was so fascinating to me.

The next year I took things to the next level. I began to think of concepts I wanted to shoot and reach out to friends or people I knew who I thought would be fitting to collaborate with. I started posting my projects on social media and that’s when my platform started to slowly grow. Thinking back, it’s funny because at the time I used to think my work was so good and that it was underappreciated. Fast forward to present me with my experience, when I look at my old work, I easily notice flaws in my work and think to myself, “wow I can’t believe I thought this was good.” Progress and growth really are amazing things that should be always be cherished. These are some of the reasons I choose to keep my old work on my platforms so I can always look back and reflect on where I started and also for my viewers see as well.

Everything changed for me in photography when I moved to Orlando after graduating from college. I was working a full-time job but was still keeping up with photography on the side. I wanted to continue to grow as a photographer because I developed a passion for photography and believed that I still had so much potential. I had just recently obtained my own starter kit camera, but being in a totally new environment and not knowing anyone was a challenge at first. What helped me was I started using hashtags on Instagram to try to filter out models in Orlando I thought could be dope to work with. After I would shoot with people, they would refer me to other people and that’s really how my network became established. I started wanting to learning more about different equipment for my camera, such as lenses, flashes, etc. I found a local camera rental shop and thats where I met Doug. I can confidently say if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I explained to him my goals and passion for photography as well as my inexperience. He fully supported me and gave me a better understanding on how to use my camera. He also taught me about the usage of different lenses and lighting equipment to achieve certain types of shots. He was always willing to rent equipment to me he believed I needed for a specific concept that I explained to him. Even to this day, I still reach out to him with questions and he is always willing to work with me. He even helped me to upgrade to a professional full-frame camera. Big shout out to Doug and Marco at “Pro Gear Orlando.” Highly recommend for camera equipment rental needs.

Once I upgraded my camera and my lenses, the work I was putting out drastically improved. I was pushing to shoot any chance I got and started submitting my work to magazines to try to get published. When I got my first publication for an international magazine, it meant everything to me. That’s when I knew that I had a chance to make it big in photography. When I first started developing my passion for photography, my dream was to become an established, well-recognized photographer. That is still my goal and what drives me today. I am working to eventually get my work published on higher platform magazines, such as vogue, essence, billboard, etc. Also, to shoot with celebrities and professional models. Finally, to get my work showcased in exhibits for people to come and physically appreciate my art.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey thus far has had its ups and downs. Many of the struggles I dealt with earlier on were with my capabilities at the time. It would frustrate me when I had vision but did not have the knowledge, skillset, or resources to make it happen. Getting the right exposure was a challenge as well. I felt as though a lot of the projects I was passionate about were undervalued by my audience and at times, it would be very discouraging. I had to learn along the way that things take time and that I just need to stay true my work and keep pushing to keep creating better content. It was really the support of the people close to me as well as the supporters, who genuinely enjoyed my work, that kept me going.

The biggest obstacle I’ve struggled with and still currently facing is probably balancing my work life with photography. I work full time and that demands a considerable amount of my attention at times so trying to stay consistent with my photography has been hard. Sometimes I feel as though I do not have enough time to fully devote to photography, but I am still extremely grateful to be in the position I am in. So I still try to create when I can and as much as I can.

I can only thank God for being able to get here because this has not been easy, but I am still pushing further to higher levels.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I mainly work as a design engineer and as a photographer. Both can be quite demanding at times, but I am grateful because they both require me to be creative and think outside the box so I feel as though it aligns with what I am meant to do in a way. To speak more on the photography side, I try to really focus on capturing images that give off emotions or moods and that can be interpreted uniquely by any viewer. That has always been my disclaimer for my pictures, I never have just one primary message, they are open for interpretation. It’s fascinating to hear different views from people and how my work makes them feel when they see it.

I feel as though I’ve been known for my creativity in photography. Much of that has to do with the angles I capture my subject from. I try to shoot from different perspectives others may not consider shooting from and that’s also makes my work stand out from the rest. My angles help to add emotion to the image and sometimes can tell a story if one allows it. In addition to that, I experiment with colors to make my pictures more dramatic.

So far, I would say I am most proud of my versatility and the skillset I developed for myself as a photographer. I’ve done many different kinds of shoots from heavily composite based to natural environment based photography. I really want to have an expansive range for what I can do.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
My favorite apps that I constantly spend my time on are Instagram and Pinterest. I could get lost in both for hours. There’s so much creativity and talent on both apps that help guide me with my creative direction or give me inspiration. I learn new things every day from them both. It amazes me how talented people and the new levels of creativity they achieve. It can be refreshing and motivating at times as a creative.

Contact Info:

• Email: meezfoto@gmail.com
• Website: meezfoto.com
• Instagram: @meezfoto
• Twitter: @HELLY_ACE_H

Image Credits
Rai Athena Janiel Melody Benji Imani Gabriella Imani Gold