Chermetra Keys is more than a photographer and visual artist. She uses the beauty captured through the lens of her camera to change the world around her. Through her photography, she has healed her own heart and lead her movement of beautiful and impactful images. In a world where few are told their dreams can actually come true, it’s a sheer act of resistance and radical self-love to create using oneself as the ultimate canvas.

Looking back, Keys says she’s learned more about seeing the bigger picture than she ever could have known years ago. Like many women, she suffered from imposter syndrome, forever wondering if she was really “good enough” or “pretty enough," and unable to see her worth as an advantage. “I was way too dependent on wanting a man’s love before realizing that love starts from within.” Growing up, Chermetra didn’t have the confidence or understanding of who she was meant to become and was often criticized for not being your standard “beauty.”

We all know men are supposed to be strong and women are supposed to be beautiful. Two society-imposed norms that can feel so difficult to live up to. Creatives, especially black women creatives, often have to work harder for their place in industries and fight to be taken seriously. Nevertheless, she persisted through failed relationships, changes in family, friends, becoming a single mother of two, and finally quitting her full-time job to pursue photography as her passion. This leap of faith was the full evolution into The Female Shoota and, unsurprisingly, her mission has taken off.

The Female Shoota is the culmination of a single mother’s hard work, self-healing, truth, and determination to become internationally known behind the lens. Stories like hers are important because it amplifies the voices of those who have been forgotten in the quest for artistic expression.

It hasn’t been easy for her to create a brand that stands on its own, but through her loyal clients, creative evolution, and natural love of photography, Keys believes her brand will continue to grow and her story will inspire others.

Want to connect with the Female Shoota, see the latest photoshoots, and check out behind-the-scenes exclusives? Find me on social media!