Our next feature can be found behind the camera, creating beautiful visions and images, captivating her audience with a single shot. She’s a unique talent, one that holds the undeniable spark that deserves to be featured.
Breanna Nichelle has been on the move since she was a child. Being a military kid ensured that. Originally from Ocala, Florida, Ms. Nichelle followed her family around the country, slowly developing her love for photography and keeping the end destination in mind; New York. Now studying photography at the Fashion Institute of New York, Ms. Nichelle is making her mark on the world, working as a photographer for one of the top male modeling agencies in New York. With her stunning work, it is no wonder why I wanted the ability to feature her.
So, as I boast about her work, the idea of developing these skills and the time frame it took comes to mind. How long did it take to master her art? “I was around 12 when I began taking photographs. I just remember all of my family having digital cameras and taking pictures and I wanted one too, so my grandmother bought me a turquoise Sony point and shoot.”
And of course, only the best of the best have turquoise cameras. Soon after receiving her first camera, her first shoot must have came. What exactly did her first shoot entail? “For my first shoot, I took pictures of my older brother. I would pick out his outfits and make him dress up and model for me. We lived in the country, so we would go out to the paths behind the house with these really cool dirt roads and take pictures. I remember getting really excited about the pictures and comparing them to Ralph Lauren, but obviously, they weren’t that good.”
Well, practice makes perfect. Researching different styles, different concepts must have helped too. It probably gave birth to a love of certain photographies. Which genre of photography would she say is her favorite? “My favorite type of photography has always been fashion. I’m inspired by other photographers and creatives like, Steven Klein, Nick Dorey, Mario Sorrenti, Mert and Marcus.”
With inspiration came drive and that drive has led her to accomplishing great tasks, like photographing for notable companies and agencies. What are some of these incredible opportunities that she was given? “I just recently moved to the city, but before moving here I worked with a good friend of mine, Joshua Mcleod of Victor + Alexander. He designs his own line of handbags. Since moving here, I’ve been testing a lot of models from Agencies around NY, such as Adam Models, VNY, Q, Red and Frame Models.”
Frame Models is a very prominent agency, here in New York. How did she acquire such a coveted position? “I got the position because of Jordan Morris who’s the former owner of BOY and now the Men’s agent of Frame. I worked and tested with a lot of his boys in Georgia, when I attended school at SCAD in Savannah, to help build their portfolios. When I moved up to NY, Jordan offered me an intern position at Frame. I did a shoot with Jake Johnston who’s one of the younger, newer faces at Frame, it was just a test shoot, but Jordan submitted to Male Model Scene and the photos pretty much went viral. It was really cool to see that happen. I was really excited. I also did a shoot with a model at Adam Models, Jonas Spiegelhalter, that also made it onto Male Model Scene.”
Such fame seems to come when most aren’t looking for it, but by the looks of her work, it seems as though the fame would have come at some point. With all the fantastic shoots she has done over her time as a photographer, which one captures her fancy most? “My favorite shoot so far is actually a shoot I did back in Savannah for class. I shot an editorial featuring a model named Montana Anderson from Chosen Models in Atlanta and Meg Witter. It was an editorial based off of a book called Thief. I basically used the book as inspiration and shot the editorial how I imagined it as I was reading. It turned out really great.”
Now with all her achievements in mind, with the distance she has already conquered now, what does Ms. Nichelle believe the future holds for her, or at least, what does she hope it holds? “My short term goal is to broaden my horizon when it comes to models. I would really love to shoot for Models at Ford, Wilhelmina, and The Society, especially since I’m currently trying to build my Women’s Portfolio up. Long term, I’d be really into shooting Editorials and Ad Campaigns for major brands and Magazines. I’d love to shoot for I-D Magazine or F*cking Young and have my work featured in their magazine.”
Well with the incredible caliber her work holds, the world is Ms. Nichelle’s oyster, ready to be opened for her to claim her prize. Continue persevering and conquering, Ms. Nichelle, for I speak for all when I say that we all thoroughly look forward to seeing your success.
The First Catwalk 