Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Kabala.
Jeremy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My inspiration to pursue photography all started when I bought my first digital camera to take on my trip to Italy back in 2015. After capturing all of these incredible sights, I became enamored with the idea of photography being a time capsule that documented visual remnants of my past that is uniquely personal to me. During this time, I also suffered from a great deal of anxiety, which lasted several years. Photography became my therapy. When I was at home, I hardly mustered the desire to leave the house and I was mortified to be out in public and communicate with people. I realized that photography would help break me out of this hardened shell I had trapped myself in. It gave me the inclination to step out into the world and capture the beauty and wonder it had to offer.
Once I started sharing my work, others took a liking to it on social media and opportunities to do freelance work started coming my way. Having terrible anxiety, I took this as my ticket way out to facing my fears and learning to be comfortable with myself when working with other people. Once I got into the groove of doing freelance work, my communication skills sharpened immensely, my anxiety gradually started fading away and I felt like the best version of myself again. Today, I am now preparing for my very first art gallery at the Stellar Art Show hosted at the House of Blues and I cannot be more excited to share my work alongside the many talented artists here in Houston.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have been many moments where I felt like my photography would never prosper other than it being a very expensive hobby that only I would ever care about, but through time and lots of networking, many wonderful things have come out of it. Right now, I am working on my first big project called “Houston Neon Project” where I capture many small gems in the Houston area with spectacular neon signs. This has caught the attention of local art organizations to reach out to me and share my story. Since then I finally feel that my photography is moving in the right direction. All it takes is believing in yourself and being patient when it comes to photography. People may not notice at first, but in time as you keep developing your skills and putting out work that you feel passionate about, soon others take an appreciation to it as well. The most important thing outside of getting recognition is that it brings you happiness, regardless of whether or not people will notice. My photography a personal treasure that I get to enjoy and that’s what matters most to me.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about JK Photography – what should we know?
Right now, I do freelance photography for portraits and special events. I do enjoy exploring different styles of photography on my own, but that is where I make most of my business. What I am most proud of are the relationships I have built throughout this experience as a freelance photographer and getting to hear stories from people who identify with my work. I guess what sets me apart from others is that my work is relatable to people who live in the Houston community. Since I have started this Houston Neon Project, Many people have messaged me stories about their past and how significant that place was to them growing up in the city of Houston and I think that is special.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents, friends, and family have all been extremely supportive of my work since the beginning and motivate me to pursue my dreams of being a successful photographer. My girlfriend of almost two years now has pushed me to take photography seriously and make it into something I can make a living out of and she has been my rock in all of this as well. Working as a marketing assistant at Telemundo, Houston has granted me many opportunities to showcase my work and create content for their social media. I also have some friends that run their small businesses that trusted me to take on certain projects to help provide content for their website. Lastly, the Reddit community helped to propel my work and bring me all of these great opportunities after posting my photography on the Houston subreddit and I couldn’t be more grateful to those people who inspired me to continue doing what I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jeremylkabala.wixsite.com/jlkabalaphotography
- Phone: 2818833727
- Email: jeremylkabala@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jlkabala
Image Credit:
Portrait credit to Allan Sosa.
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
