Hey, I’m Mahala Preudhomme

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER BASED IN THE UNITED STATES

I was first introduced to photography when my mom bought me my first digital camera at 9 years old. My mom always had a $400-$700 Nikon or Cannon camera and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS was taking photos of my family and my friends. From there on she encouraged my sisters & I to take art classes, to scrapbook, and attend creative festivals. By the age of 19 I became a full time painter and owned 3 small businesses. Meanwhile 2/3 of my sisters became photographers as I was launching my modeling career and taking photography clients as a form of income. 

After getting established in my modeling career and realizing there weren’t many women of color on sets or let alone in the industry at all I pursued photography more seriously. I always say being a model has made me a better photographer in regards to giving direction, encouragement, and just an all around understanding of production. 

When I use to consider myself an “artist” I was just referring to being a painter but when I got severe carpal tunnel in 2020 I realized that photography has always been another form of my creative art and I started to dive deeper into what that meant for me as a photographer. 

Over time, I’ve discovered that being a black, female, queer, & inclusivity-focused photographer is one of my biggest passions in life. I love more than anything to capture melanin and bring light to underrepresented groups. 

My goal is to create tools and resources to help creatives like me prosper in the creative world. Mentoring and being a voice for this industry is something I hope to do till the day I die.