22-Year-Old Concert Photographer Nominated for “Best Photographer” Award at the SCM Awards 2020
Tyra Grayson, 22, is hardly an amateur photographer. Even though she is a senior at Full Sail University in their Graphic Design Bachelor’s Degree program, the Alabama native has her own successful concert photography and graphic design business. Several notable music artists have already hired Grayson to take photographs of them during their concerts. Some of them include Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, Lizzo, Future, Boosie Badazz, Logan Henderson, and Yelawolf.
“I’ve been doing graphic design for a year and photography for almost three years,” said Grayson. “My grandad got me into these two career fields. I was previously making music before this and playing basketball, and now I thank him every day for helping me find a new love in the music industry. May he rest in peace.”
Grayson remains humble about her talents and her future career path. She doesn’t pretend to know everything about the music industry, even though she loves it so much. Her ambition allows herself to be realistic and open so that she can listen and learn from others along the way.
“So many creative people in my field want to do everything themselves and get the work done without any help,” said Grayson. “If you’re going to make it in this business, you’ll need help along the way and must be willing to work under pressure while keeping an open mind.”
Grayson’s attempts at keeping an open mind have finally paid off. She has already been nominated for “Best Photographer” at the upcoming SCM Awards 2020 in July. The SCM Awards are more like an independent awards ceremony held each year. They award the achievements of notable independent creative artists in the music industry, such as music producers, DJs, music business owners, dancers, stylists, graphic designers, and photographers.
“The slogan of my company is ‘Create with Passion,’ which signifies to do what you love and do it with passion,” said Grayson. “I do what I do because I love to create for others and make a difference. I’m honored to have received this nomination. It is something I never expected to happen. It just motivates me that much more to keep on doing what I’m doing and create the best work possible.”
In addition to her SCM Awards 2020 nomination, Grayson has also been nominated for “Bama’s Hottest Photographer” at the 2020 Alabama Music Awards. This award show has only been around for six years, and yet, it has become the biggest annual event in Alabama. The award show celebrates and honors all the creative talent who have come from Alabama.
“I feel like I’m different than most people who try to succeed,” said Grayson. “I am a risk-taker, and I push the barrier until the barrier is broken. I’ve never taken a ‘no’ for an answer and moved on. I’ve always found other ways to get my dream done. That is why I’ve been this successful so far.”
