Today we’d like to introduce you to Babacar Faye
Hi Babacar, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey into photography is quite the story, but I’ll try to keep it short! It all started in college when I was studying to become a music educator. While I loved the idea of teaching, I quickly realized the kind of impact I wanted to make in education couldn’t be achieved just by being in the classroom. That’s when I decided to switch my major into business administration, and later the idea engendered of pursuing my own businesses.
After leaving college, I found myself working a corporate job and searching for what business would really spark that passion in me. I knew I had an entrepreneurial mindset, but as a musician at heart, I wanted something that would also satisfy my artistic and creative side.
One day, while going through an old USB drive from high school (that thing we used before cloud storage was a thing), I stumbled upon some photos I took during a photography class my senior year of high school. To my surprise, I realized I had a natural talent for it! Then I began to think back on this repressed interest I always had in photography, and always wondering what the photographer was seeing. I truly believe God guided me at that moment, showing me that photography could be more than a hobby—it could be a way of life. After one YouTube search of ‘Photography 101,’ the rest is history.
I started taking on every project I could, from portraits to events, just to figure out where my true interests in photography resided.
Eventually, I discovered my passion for working with brands and capturing food photography. I love helping businesses stand out with visuals that tell their unique story, while also keeping up with the times of social media.
Throughout this journey, I’ve been blessed with incredible support from friends and colleagues who have kept me motivated. Their belief in me has been a constant reminder that this is only the beginning.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely been a road full of lessons rather than smooth or rough. The biggest challenge has been learning how to balance building a business with regular life.
One key realization is that your business only grows as much as you do. Running a business brings not just financial and operational challenges—like taxes and all the fun ‘business stuff’—but it also brings personal challenges to the surface. For me, those have been time management, people-pleasing, and imposter syndrome.
Time management has always been a hurdle for me, from grade school to co post-college. Balancing everything that’s important in life and giving each area the attention it deserves is tough. Now, as an adult with bills to pay, and keeping up with life’s responsibilities, it looks more like coming home after a long shift—whether it’s 8, 12, or even 4 hours—and still trying to find the energy to put in hours for my business. I’m sure many can relate to this. Sometimes, even when I muster up the energy, I end up realizing I am spending a lot of time on things that could honestly wait. Time management is something I’m still learning, but having something I’m passionate about is what drives me to keep improving.
Another big challenge I faced was people-pleasing. We always hear ‘the client comes first,’ but I’ve learned that you can’t put clients above your own happiness and mental health. In the beginning, I felt like I had to go above and beyond for every client just because they were giving me an opportunity, or paying me in opportunity. I thought going the extra mile would put me in the right rooms and lead to more business. But the reality is, some people rarely tell you when you’re doing too much. Instead, they might point out what others are have done better or say they can get it cheaper or even for free—which can be disheartening. Don’t get me wrong, those things helped me a lot, however, the intention behind it can make the difference. Over time, I learned to find and set boundaries, which has been a game-changer for me. A quote that helped me shift my mindset was, ‘When you ask for a venti caramel macchiato at Starbucks, they don’t negotiate the price based on how much you want in the cup.’ It may lead to some clients going elsewhere, but boundaries have such a profound effect of building our confidence.
Imposter syndrome is another challenge I’ve faced, and I know many others have too. For me, it hit hardest when it came to pricing my services. I remember the first time I asked for payment—I almost passed out, not from excitement, but from anxiety. I couldn’t see my own value, and it showed because the client ended up asking for a discount, and I gave it. Imposter syndrome, or what I would say is the enemy, often creates thoughts like, ‘Why would anyone pay you for this?’ or ‘There are people much better than you.’ But as I have built my relationship with our Heavenly Father, I’ve learned to respond to those thoughts by reminding myself that no one else can bring what I bring to the table, and I was created with tremendous value, as we all are.
God has blessed me, and all of us, with unique strengths. While I am still strengthening my not-so-strong areas, I refuse to stop, because I know my value and have created healthy boundaries. We have to keep going.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Branding Photographer, with a specialization in culinary photography. While I also offer headshot and personal branding portrait services, I’ve recently made the decision to focus on culinary photography and building a content agency.
The first three years of my journey involved taking on a wide variety of projects as I worked to find where I truly wanted to dedicate my time and energy. After investing significant effort into building my own brand, I realized I have a strong passion for helping others not only stand out visually but also navigate and organize their branding journey.
What sets Lunar Lens Studios apart is our commitment to being more than just photographers. We position ourselves as a partner in our clients’ journeys, helping them uncover answers, explore questions they might not have considered, and provide solutions along the way. We’ve developed questionnaires to help clients organize their thoughts and clarify their brand identity, and we hold meetings to go over our findings and problem-solve any issues that arise.
The same goes for our personal branding clients, however, our approach is more of an empathetic and personal one. We want to connect with you on a personal level in innerstanding that putting a camera in our face can cause us to shut down sometimes, I know I can. So we ensure no matter what you look as confident as possible, even though you just got done telling me you’re not photogenic. BAH HUMBUG! Let me show you how stunning you are! 😌
What makes me most proud is hearing clients say, ‘Wow, I hadn’t thought of that,’ or ‘oh dang, I look good!’ It means we’re doing our job by not only capturing their brand and personality through imagery, but also acting as a second brain or a partner as they tackle the hurdles of entrepreneurship. We’ve been through those same challenges and continue to grow through them ourselves, so we’re truly invested in our clients’ success as much as they are.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I’ve learned two important lessons! First, you just have to keep going. Some things will be hard, and some things will be so simple they actually feel hard! You have to push through, get them done, and always remind yourself why you started. Mistakes will happen, you’ll hit walls, and there may even be moments where you feel like giving up… but you’ve got to get back up. The best lessons often come right after you’ve made that mistake that makes you think, ‘OMG, it’s all over!’ But get back up anyway.
The second lesson is not to compare yourself to others. Someone really important in my journey often reminded me that comparison is the thief of joy, and it’s something that comes from the enemy to distract you from your own path and greatness. You can’t compare your Chapter 3 to someone else’s Chapter 300. Our journey is our own, and we should be so grateful for it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sometimes laugh with Mr. Hindsight, wondering, ‘How far could we have been if we just hadn’t compared ourselves?’ But it’s a part of the journey.
So keep going, and remember that your journey is yours alone—love it
Contact Info:
- Email: lunarlensstudios@gmail.com
- Instagram: @lunarlensstudios / @starrybites_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lunarlensstudios
Image Credits
the photo of me with camera in had was taken by mediabyjordan
