52 Stories

39/52 @derekrliang (Derek Liang) is a Landscape/Travel Photographer based in Orange County. He has gathered over 27k followers on his Instagram after he discovered his love for photography in college. In this episode, we discuss how he balances his photography adventures with the software startup he is working on and how building strong habits has helped him keep up and exceed in life.

38/52 @unlockinghamza (Hamza Abdallah) is an Entreprenuer by heart who is currently running Thrive On Life. Their goal is to use entrepreneurship as a tool to educate and inspire aspiring entrepreneurs to further pursue the field and be successful. In this episode he talks about what having balance in life truly is, what overarching goal every business should have to be successful, and how we can reach our full potential on our continuous journey of unlocking ourselves.

37/52 @lifeof_robbie (Robbie Gomez) is a Designer, Videographer, Photographer, and Editor. After being silent on social media for over a year, he comes back to share his story. In this episode, he talks about how removing social media affected his life, including how it provided mental clarity and enabled him to be more productive with work and gain happiness. Subscribe to my newsletter, Radio Silence: omarwaseem.substack.com

36/52 @nickscolaro (Nick Scolaro) is a Videographer, Rooftopper, and Entrepreneur. After he got kicked from his house and had to live on the street, he set out to work hard and pursue his passion. He has currently created a marketing agency has reached $100k+ revenue in less than a year. In this episode, he discusses how he got through a rough patch in his life, how he has had to escape from rooftops multiple times, and how he has been successful as an entrepreneur. https://linktr.ee/nickscolaro

35/52 @nickfjord (Nick Fjord) is a Travel and Nature Photographer based in San Francisco. Originally an EDM Photographer, he found his passion for shooting landscapes and nature after his friend took him on a visit to Lassen National Park. In this episode, he talks about community and growth on Instagram, how he has found success in selling his own photography prints, and some of his photography adventures.

34/52 @gavin.britton (Gavin Britton) is a Photographer based in Portland. After his grandfather recommended to him to get a camera as a gift for himself, he has been an avid enthusiast of photography. In this episode, he discusses how it is like to balance college and photography, tips on improving your shot, and his creative method to approach any photoshoot.

33/52 @talhazr1 is a Photographer and a freshman at USC. After initially buying a camera to record video, he found that he had a creative passion for photography and pursued that as his hobby. In this episode, he talks about shooting for popular celebrities such as Bronny James, acting on opportunities, and how networking and making connections is important for growth.

32/52 @oetyler (Tyler) is a 16-year-old Filmmaker and FPV Pilot based in British Columbia. After finding a deep interest in filming and a spark for capturing the important moments in life, he hopes to further pursue his career to make inspiring films. In this episode, he discusses his story of how he successfully became a paid filmmaker at a young age, the adventures he has been on while working with Joel Elman including traveling the country for a music video, climbing a crane, and calling a search and rescue helicopter.

31/52 @alexromo (Alex Romo) is a Filmmaker based in San Diego. After pursuing business and filmmaking at USC, he has worked with iconic brands such as Red Bull, Go Pro, and Ikonick, and has made many well-known films. In this episode, he discusses how he got into filmmaking, why the story is the most important factor in film, and some of his amazing experiences throughout his journey.

30/52 @haaritth (Haarith) is a Signed Model and Clothing Brand Owner based in Chicago. After finding a passion for Modeling from a young age, he hopes to further pursue his career in the field. In this episode, he discusses how one can make themselves stand out in the modeling industry, how to make a clothing brand unique to your style, and his thoughts on doing what you love.

29/52 @reesehopper.co (Reese Hopper) is a part-time blogger, a producer, and the manager of @thatoneblondkid (Jeremiah Davis). After meeting Jeremiah in college, the two teamed up and quickly started their rise to success. In this episode, he talks about his experience working closely with Jeremiah and the Chainsmokers, his thoughts on the creative process, and his view on attaining happiness.

28/52 @nomadlad (Tom Carter) is a travel photographer based in Abu Dhabi. After traveling around the world, he has gained 120k Instagram followers and worked with many notable brands, including Aston Martin and BMW. In this episode, he discusses how he got his account verified, some intriguing tales from his extensive travels, how you can work with any brand you'd like, and what photography really means to him.

27/52 @hiltyy (Cole Hilton) is a Travel Photographer based in Seattle. After finding interest in Photography during a work trip, he has grown into a well-known Nature Photographer. In this episode, we discuss how he got into photography, an illegal job in Italy, what his creative workflow is, why he doesn't use photography as a source of main income, finding happiness, and his thoughts on social media.

26/52 @jeevyboi_ (Sanjeev Sarin) is an 18-year-old TikToker. After gaining a follower count of 600k, he has set out to further build his following and inspire others through his content. In this episode, he discusses moving to the Bay Area, the period of depression he went through, how he found hope and motivation, and why he wants to spread that to the rest of the world.

25/52 | @franticframes (Ben Treat) is a Stop Motion Animator based in Colorado. After getting into the art at a young age, he has developed dozens of viral clay stop motion animation clips and built a large following on Instagram and TikTok. In this episode, we discuss the stop-motion animation industry, how he develops the idea for a stop-motion, and the work that goes into pre and post-production to create his beautiful content.

24/52 | @sek.ops (James) is a 17-year-old Drone Photographer based in the Bay Area. After entering the photography game at a relatively young age, he has gained over 10k followers on Instagram from his stunning drone photos. In this episode, he discusses how he got into FPV and Commercial Drone Photography, his photography experiences as a teen, and how he feels about the photography community.

23/52 | @tylerboronski (Tyler Boronski) is a Celebrity Interviewer from Connecticut. After interviewing baseball players and other personalities from a very young age, he has stepped up his game by interviewing famous social media influencers. In this episode, he talks about landing an interview with Charli D'amelio, working on the set of Stranger Things, and his thoughts about creators on different platforms.

22/52 | @siberianvolk (Kesl Aleksandr) is a Photographer based in the Bay Area. After gaining over 150k followers on Instagram with his breathtaking photos taken only with his iPhone, he proves that you don't need expensive camera equipment to be a successful photographer. On this episode, he discusses how he found his love for iPhone photography, how his Instagram page went viral, and what Instagram Reels have in store for the future. https://omarmwaseem.com/52stories

21/52 | @emriyshawn (Anok Debs) is a 21-year-old filmmaker turned photographer based in London. With over 27k followers on Instagram and striking deals with many well-known brands, he hopes to expand his reach and become a travel creator. In this episode, he discusses his journey from filmmaking to photography, the equipment he uses to capture images, and his thoughts on succeeding as a creator. https://omarmwaseem.com/52stories

20/52 | @yazeni (Yazen Mizyed) is a Palestinian Filmmaker based in Indiana. After joining MOTW (Muslims of the World) as the head of media, he tells us how his work has opened up people's eyes to the struggles around the world. In this episode, we discuss how his career in film started when he got shot in Palestine, the different projects he has worked on with celebrities, and how his mentor and his work at MOTW changed his life forever.

19/52 | @ahaamustafa (Mustafa) is a Muslim Tiktoker and Instagram video creator. In this episode he shares his experiences of growing his following through Instagram reels, his history with photography, "belonging" in an online community, and the struggles he faced while changing his major in his junior year of university.

18/52 | @brianmogg (Brian Mogg) is a Professional Golfer, TikToker, and Youtuber. With a following of 330k on TikTok and touring South America for a Professional Golf Tournament, he relates to how "seeking discomfort" and building self-confidence has changed his life. In this episode, he shares how he snuck into Jake Pauls's house undetected, pranked a college class, as well as many other crazy adventures. https://omarmwaseem.com/52stories

17/52 | @azfarasikhanseee (Azfar Khan) is a 17-year-old Muslim TikToker based in the Bay Area. After posting content on TikTok for only a few months, he has managed to gain a following of 93K. In this episode, he shares his experience of balancing school with TikTok, his personal experiences and adventures, and what it takes to be a Muslim Tiktoker. https://omarmwaseem.com/52stories

16/52 | @focusonwill (William Brown) is a cancer survivor and photographer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the age of 25, he has started a successful photography business and has shot for some big names. In this episode, he talks about his travels, his workflow, shooting with NFL Star Cam Newton, and what his fight against cancer taught him about life.

14/52 | @jackcareedy (Jack Careedy) is a 17 year old photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. After succesfully starting a photography company and traveling to over 20 countries, he has now become a professional photographer in his teenage years. In this episode, he gives us insight on what it's like to balance his teenage life with being a professional photographer, as well as how to get started in the industry of photography.

14/52 | @joel (Joel Elman) is a Professional FPV Pilot who is currently based in Canada. His love for FPV and traveling has led him to create breathtaking drone footage from all around the world. In this episode, he shares some of his thrilling adventures, how he got into flying FPV Drones, and what it takes to be a creator. omarmwaseem.com/52stories

13/52 | @sammyshiblaq (Sammy Shiblaq) is a Bay Area Rapper who was born in Detroit, MI. The artistic atmosphere and culture of Hip Hop in Detroit influenced him to pursue Rapping from a very young age. Now based in San Jose, he hopes that he can expand his already vast following. In this episode, he talks about his process of developing songs and his advice on reaching out to fellow artists.

12/52 | @shanrizwan (Shan Rizwan) is a student and vlogger at Boston College. In just one year of posting consistently, he's grown his productivity/university-niche YouTube channel to almost 45k subscribers. In this episode, he tells his story and shares advice on how you can grow your own channel. omarmwaseem.com/52stories

11/52 | @tava (Luke Rodriguez) is a photographer from the Bay Area. In this episode, he talks about the progression (or lack thereof) in the Bay Shooters, and how he got the handle @tava. He also shares his thoughts on the recent drama in the photography community. https://omarmwaseem.com/52stories

10/52 @francistogram (Fran) was a photographer and a developer at Flexport. Now, he has chosen not to be employed as part of his venture to find himself. He temporarily moved into a Las Vegas house with a dozen of his friends in an attempt to get a taste of what it would be like to charter a city. https://omarmwaseem.com/52stories

09/52 @devinpg and @olivermakesmovies (Team Friendship) are documentary filmmakers based in Los Angeles. They covered multiple riots across America and recently had one of their friends (Bryce Williams from ep. 6) arrested and slandered by the media. In this episode, we talk about their YouTube channel, their journey as filmmakers, and their advice on living your best life. https://www.youtube.com/c/TeamFriendship

08/52 | @joshgallomedia (Josh Gallo) is a concert photographer and TikToker. He's had the opportunity to shoot for names such as Charli D'amelio, A$AP Rocky, Lawrence the Band.. In this episode he explains how he would go about recreating his career, how he almost got arrested at Rolling Loud, how he shot for Charli D'amelio and other Hype House members, and also how he incorporated TikTok into his professional career. https://omarmwaseem.com/52stories

07/52 | @56thgrid (Axel) is a 12-year-old photographer and the podcast host of Axing the Future. In just ten episodes he's interviewed JR Alli, @7th.era, Hayden Pedersen, Tom Noske, and many more influencers with large followings. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to start young and how his parents play a huge role in his ventures.

06/52 | @therealpg14 (Bryce Williams) is an activist, Tiktoker, and documentarian based in Minneapolis. Bryce was on the front lines of the Minneapolis riot, and his protest TikToks have gone viral, garnering him tens of millions of views and over a hundred thousand followers in a short period of time. In this episode, we talk about Bryce's experiences from attending protests in 4 different states, and how one #blacklivesmatter protest changed everything for him. You can view the mini-documentaries that he's working on here: https://www.youtube.com/user/TeamFriendshipComedy.

05/52 | @alx.sf (Alex) is a photographer and urban explorer based near San Francisco, California. In this episode, we talk about his crazy experiences from “rooftoping” skyscrapers around California and the growth/development of the Bay Area photography community. omarmwaseem.com/52stories

04/52 | @khalildaterra (Khalil DaTerra) is a 17-year-old filmmaker and TikToker. In the past, he's shot for Samsung, the Hype House, and many influencers and in this episode he announces that he's founding a TikTok house. In just over a year, Khalil has grown his Instagram account to 13k+ followers and his TikTok account to 375k+ followers. omarmwaseem.com/52stories

03/52 | @smitherene (Andrew Smith) is a photographer and TikToker based near Los Angeles. When he's not serving as a paramedic, he's recording himself doing crazy things with his friends. Andrew has grown his Instagram account to 13k+ followers, and his TikTok account to 500k+ followers. omarmwaseem.com/52stories

@therealamogh (Amogh Manjunath) is a travel photographer from the SF Bay Area. Among other locations, he has traveled to Switzerland with his high school friends, road tripped to Death Valley with adventure enthusiasts he just met, and has done so all by the age of nineteen. omarmwaseem.com/52stories

My name is Omar Waseem (@omarmwaseem) and I'm joined by Ethan Chang (@selmshots). We are 16 year old photographers from the SF Bay Area. On 52 Stories we plan to interview creators that are on the rise, and dive into the behind-the-scenes of their lives as creatives but also as... people. In this first episode we interview each other and reminisce on past photography adventures. omarmwaseem.com/52stories