Meet Ajarina Aja” Hitomi | Photographer”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ajarina “Aja” Hitomi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ajarina “Aja”, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
When I think of taking a risk immediately the first question I think of is, ” will I fail ?” I think most people feel the same way about risk taking since it inherently can have a negative connotation to it. This is why going full time and starting my own business was very scary for me. I’ve always worked a full time job since I was 18, but when I started photography I knew instantly that it was my calling to do this as my career. There were many times when I felt hesitant in making that decision but after listening to the positive words my fiancé gave me I knew I was making the right choice. I am able to be my own boss. I’ve been able to have the luxury of creating my own schedule, and not call out from work so I can take that gig to work on set( lol). I will be honest I do not regret it one bit!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So Cal Editorial Photographer specializing in fashion, portrait and now wedding photography.

My greatest memory was in the fall of 2016. I was editing a series of images for music artist Yuna. This was one particular proud moment I’ve had and it was with an image that just stood out to me that I couldn’t put down. I remember typing the word VOGUE above the image and stared at it for hours, for days and even months. I told myself, one day I will have my image in Vogue magaizine. In 2017, it happened and that same exact image made the cover of the Summer 2017 lens spread in Vogue Arabia! After that moment I promised myself to never give up! After that accomplishment many more manifestations happened. My work has now been featured in Vogue USA VOGUE India, Harpers Baazar US & Malaysia, Elle magazine, Brides, Black bride magazine, LA Times, Huffington post, The AISLE magazine, The lane, Clash magazine and Source magazine.

I have been photographing for 12 years and it has not always been easy. My dad once told me, “perseverance Ajarina” and that word has stuck with me eversince. As a creative you are always learning something new every single day, sometimes in every photo session and sometimes even a new subject you’re shooting with. Overtime we have seen how much social media has progressed and how it has changed business for many creatives. So many new photographers can get lost and stuck on comparing themselves, while losing their originality all because of someone else’s achievements and progress. This is why I like to stay grounded and focused on my own timeline. I tend to stay in my lane and just focus on myself and what I’m creating at the moment. It feels more genuine and keeps my expectations on myself realistic and I like it that way. If you get caught up in the rat race it can just leave you feeling depleted and insecure.

Lately, I have discovered a new found love for wedding photography and I have been putting a lot of my focus in with that. I’m getting older so a lot of my style and tastes are changing.

What I want the world to know about me and my brand is that photography has became the voice to all of my visual and emotional understandings. My victories are my stories held within my portraits. I use emotion as a guide to find inspiration. I capture my own curiosity through art with each subject and materialize a timeless world of them through my visionary lens and that is why I love being able to share with the world what each photo exudes to me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you were in the So cal area I would first and foremost take you to my favorite place ever, the place I’ve lived the longest and that is Los Angeles. We would first grab a bite at Little Dom’s restaurant located in los feliz, drive down 5 mins to Trails coffee in Griffith park, grab a latte, read a book and chat it up for a little while. Then we would head up to the Griffith park Observatory and gaze at the city for a bit. If there is an awesome artist playing down the hill we could catch a concert at the Greek Theatre and then cap the night off at The Dresden for a late night drink! I think the most interesting place is literally Los Angeles, you kind of get it all there. There is no place like Hollywood.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My fiancé Steven for helping me make that full time decision and being the backbone and push towards my career.

My sister and bridal gown designer Stephanie White of Odylyne the Ceremony, because of her remarkable eye for designs, I’ve studied how to be resilient in your craft as well as being an original at what you love to do.

Photographer Annie Leibovitz, is my muse when it comes to photography. I have never felt a creative connection with any other photographer other than her. To be inspired by the human essence of people and the society that we live in makes me realize this is what we do as photographers, we wait to be inspired by that individual we are photographing. I’ts not just taking a picture, it’s capturing their souls.

Website: under construction!!!!

Instagram: @ajarinahitomi & @ajahitomi