Today we’d like to introduce you to Yamileth Miller.
Hi Yamileth, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m Cindy Yamileth Mejia, also known as Yamileth Miller. I was born and raised in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Where I used to daydream of one day becoming an entrepreneur. I came to the U.S. when I was 12 and I had a hard time adjusting without knowing the language. I suffered a great deal of bullying at school which drove me into the goth scene. Fashion has always been important to me from an early age. My mom opposed my fashion taste and refused to buy me anything remotely goth looking. I did what a normal teenager does best and rebelled against her. Next thing I knew, I was selling my regular clothes on eBay to buy “sinister” looking clothes, according to my mom. I often borrowed my friend’s dad’s camera to photograph my stuff which eventually prompted me to sell online full time. At 19, I got my first credit card with like a 30% APR and my first purchase was a digital camera. Probably the most expensive camera I have ever bought to this day.
After years of doing strictly product photography, my friend introduced me to the rockabilly scene. I remember my friend was showing me pin up images and I remember thinking to myself, “I want to create images that look like that and I’ve got to figure it out.” After hours of trial and error, I discovered that I didn’t have to stick to one style of photography. That my work was going to be eclectic.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve encountered many challenges throughout my journey. I even stopped photographing for a few years while I was going through depression. Everything crumbled down around me, including my personal life. I became disillusioned with the way people treat others’ hard work. I often came across my images with another person’s watermark, re-edited and even once found a so-called photographer marketing her photography services with one of my images. I felt as if my hours/days of work to produce a unique image were pointless as it benefited others more than me. However, I’ve learned to pick my battles and refocus on what’s really important. Capturing moments that would last a lifetime. I love the excitement of my clients when they see their finished images. It makes it all worth it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
It’s true that I have much more preference to create colorful pictures. I’m best known for my pin up images. However, I do more than one style of photography, As a matter of fact, I don’t really have a style I stick to, but I wish I did, because it would save me so much time. My photography is eclectic and when I edit an image is all about the energy it transmits to me. I sit in front of my computer, play some music and forget about the rest of the world for hours until I’m happy with an image. Some of my best work was done with a combination of outdoor lighting and 1 strobe light. I have an online store called Sharp Spirit, formerly known as Uturn Utopia, in which I feature many of my images.
I’m really proud of my work, because every image represents a unique session in front of my computer. I let myself be guided by emotions as I edit and hear that voice within when it tells me to stop or try again. I learned various techniques on my own, because I dare to venture out and not be afraid of trying new things.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.yamilethmiller.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharp_spirit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uturnutopia
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharpspirit_com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sharpspirit
- Other: https://www.sharpspirit.com/
