Two years ago, I traded my stable office job for a camera and a dream. At 28, with no formal training and a secondhand Canon, I stepped into the unpredictable world of professional photography. Those first months were humbling—shooting weddings for little more than a meal, editing late into the night on a laptop that wheezed under the weight of Lightroom, and learning the hard way that "exposure" doesn't pay the bills. But when a bride cried over the photos I took of her special day, I knew I was onto something real.
Jamaica isn't an easy place to build a creative career. Clients often expect miracles—like the time I was asked to remove an ex-girlfriend from a decade-old beach photo. I've been paid in produce, promises, and occasionally, actual money. But through the chaos, I found my niche: capturing the soul of the island, not just the postcard-perfect scenes. My breakthrough came when I started sharing raw, unfiltered glimpses of everyday Jamaican life—fishermen at Hellshire Beach, grandmothers at the market, kids playing in the streets. That authenticity caught the eye of brands tired of the same old resort imagery.
The turning point came when Sandals Resorts commissioned me to document "real Jamaica" for their marketing campaign. Suddenly, my gritty street portraits had commercial value, and my phone started ringing with offers. I'll never forget walking into a high-end hotel and seeing my photos of local fishermen blown up as wall art in their lobby. It was surreal—the same images I'd once shot just for passion were now being celebrated as high art.
Now, at 30, I balance commercial work with personal projects. I've learned to value my craft—charging fair prices, saying no to exploitative gigs, and always keeping my artistic voice intact. There are still lean months, but nothing compares to the pride of seeing my work appreciated, whether it's in a corporate ad or framed in a family's home. This journey taught me that success isn't just about talent; it's about resilience, adaptability, and staying true to your vision.
— Kyle Billings
Full-time Photographer
Kingston, Jamaica.