30-year-old Kaeleb Visram only began taking pictures a year ago, but in that short time something remarkable has happened. He’s gone from working full-time at his own successful carpentry business to becoming a professional photographer.
Last year, Visram borrowed his sister’s camera in hopes of taking pictures of one of his jobsites. The goal was to take a few simple shots and upload those images to his website.
“This was the first time I ever used a decent camera,” says Visram. He found the process inspiring. “That sparked something in me.”
Soon after, he went on a family vacation to Mexico. He brought along a small point-and-shoot camera to take vacation photos, but the spark that had been ignited on the jobsite was growing into a fire.
“I was up every night until one or two in the morning, online, learning about photography,” says Visram.
This unexpected new hobby was taking on a life of its own. When he got back from vacation, his appetite for photography continued to grow. When he found out that a friend was selling an old camera—a six-megapixel Nikon D40—Visram decided to buy it.
In the beginning, Visram was really into street photography, a genre that focuses on pictures of everyday people living everyday lives. “I love people, so I thought it was cool to find beauty and art just in everyday life, in the mundane,” says Visram. “There was something about that I liked.”
Glancing at Visram’s repertoire online, you’ll notice that his photos range from deep, dark, and soulful to vivid and hopeful. This wide range of style shifts for Visram on an almost daily basis. “I think, partially, who you are at the time will show through your photography. I’d expect that my style will probably change as I grow as a person.”
Visram works with a new multimedia company in Niverville called Glass Floor Media. Originally he was brought on for his business and administrative skills. After successfully creating and running a business of his own, he held expertise that is invaluable to a young creative company.
But lately, Visram has been taking more of an artistic role. “My whole life, I had that desire to be artistic,” he says, “but I was too scared to show that to the world because I was afraid of what they would think of it.”
Now Visram can be seen taking pictures for companies, ministries, and individuals. He’s photographed weddings, family portraits, and big live events.
“I let myself experience something I was too scared to step into,” says Visram. “I discovered a whole other side of myself. It actually changed the course of my life.”
Visram attributes his success and happiness as an artist to his motivations. “I wanted to be artistic because that’s the way God created me, not because of what people will think of what I create.”
