Conversations with the Inspiring Maya Barylka

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Barylka.

Maya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I was going into sixth grade, my brother was leaving for college. Since we had a really close bond, he decided he would give me his camera as a goodbye gift and get a newer one for himself. I started doing small photoshoots with friends and then started my Instagram account. As time went on and my following grew, my photoshoots became more desired and I was able to start to charge for my work. When I moved to Colorado, it was hard because I felt like I had to restart my business. Slowly, I began shooting with girls at my school and I once again started creating a name for myself in the new state.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been a tough road to travel on. Being a teenager meant that I had to find a way to balance my career and my personal life. One thing that was necessary for me to learn was how to find true friends, and distinguish the people that weren’t there for the real me, just for the photography. Another big challenge was establishing myself, after moving from California to here. Not only was that a big obstacle to overcome, I had to figure out a way to restart my business for the better. Being a young business woman has meant not defining myself as a business rather than as a human. At the end of the day, the number of photoshoots I do doesn’t define me but doing what I love and making a difference in the world does.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a teen photographer, and I specialize in portraits (senior photos, family photos, portfolio building for models and sports). I have recently just started working with a suicide prevention clothing brand called Brought to Reality, and ever since, I have found a new passion with helping to bring mental health more awareness, especially in teenagers. Due to my age, I have had to work harder to build my name and establish a bigger brand, but that also separates me from other local photographers. I make sure to create a fun, bubbly and exciting environment during photo shoots, so my clients can fully let go.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
I am honestly still learning about that world since I am still a teenager navigating my way through business and seeing new opportunities and difficulties.

Contact Info:

• Website: mayabaryphoto.com
• Phone: 4086402539
• Email: mayabaryphoto.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/mayabaryphoto

Image Credit:
MayaBaryPhoto

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