Today we’d like to introduce you to Iman Pickens.
Hi Iman, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t get into portrait photography because I wanted to simply take pictures of people. What interested me was everything happening around the picture, finding a location, creating a certain feeling, and turning an ordinary day into something that feels worth remembering.
The more I photographed people, the more I realized there doesn’t always have to be a major occasion. Sometimes the occasion is simply where you are in life right now. That changed the way I approach portraits. I started paying more attention to the environment, mood and little details that make someone’s photos feel like their own.
Today, that’s what I’m continuing to build around: portraits that make an ordinary moment feel significant.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been figuring out where I fit creatively. Photography can become very focused on simply getting clients, following trends, or creating what you think people want to see. I had to learn what actually made me want to keep creating.
Over time, I realized I cared just as much about the feeling surrounding the photo as the photo itself, the location, the atmosphere, and giving someone a reason to capture themselves even when there isn’t a traditional milestone to celebrate.
Finding that direction took trial and error, but it ultimately helped me become more intentional about the photographer I want to be.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in outdoor portrait photography, but what I’m most interested in is creating the feeling surrounding the portrait. I pay close attention to location, environment, light and atmosphere because those things can turn a simple portrait into something that feels like a moment.
What sets my work apart is that I don’t believe people always need a traditional occasion to be photographed. Sometimes the occasion is simply who you are right now, a certain season of your life, a version of yourself you feel good about, or even an ordinary day that will mean more to you later.
That perspective has also made location scouting a big part of my creative process. I’m always looking for places that can add something to the story instead of simply serving as a background. I’m most proud when everything comes together and the final image feels like more than a portrait, it feels like somewhere you were, who you were, and a moment worth keeping.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I like most about Kansas City is how much of it still feels undiscovered. As a photographer, I’m constantly finding parks, trails, neighborhoods and small pockets of the city that completely change depending on the season or time of day. There’s something rewarding about finding a place people might pass every day and showing it in a way that makes them look at it differently.
What I like least is that some of those places don’t always get the attention they deserve. Kansas City has a lot of beauty and character outside of the places everyone already knows about, and I’d love to see more of that side of the city highlighted.
Pricing:
- Just Because – $125
- This Era – $175
- The Concept – $250
- Location Scouting/Creative Sessions – $350
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Rashadshadarack
