#163: Capturing Life (Friday, February 12)

When I started my (now defunct) lifestyle magazine a few years ago, I had a dilemma: I wanted a top quality cover photographer, but like many startups I was on a tight budget. That's how I met Niya. A friend had highly recommended his work, and even though he'd worked with celebrities I'd only seen on TV, I decided that I wasn't gonna be intimidated.

My fears were completely unfounded. Not only did he live up to his recommendation, but my business partner and I found ourselves many a night lost in conversation with Niya who is an amazing wealth of information. Even after the magazine folded, Niya remained a very dear friend. And when he launched his photography site, I couldn't wait to send it along to my friends. He photographs people, places and events, and there's even some concept photography that you can buy (the Metropolitan series is my favorite; it just reminds me of quintessential New York)

But there's more. Niya's not just an amazing photographer; he's also one of the founders of the iconic Reggae Retro, the longest-running reggae party in Brooklyn, and the creator of the Retro image, which many people think is me or my sister. (Not a bad guess, I must say. LOL.) I didn't realize just how popular Reggae Retro was until I overheard people visiting from England talking about it on the train.

Check out Niya's sites and his businesses; hopefully it can inspire you!