We were lucky to catch up with Sani Mohammed recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sani, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
This is a very thought-provoking question. When I reflect on my generosity, I always think back to the influence of the people around me and how I was raised. My parents emphasized the importance of recognizing and appreciating others. For example, in elementary school, my mom would gift my teachers a candle at the end of every year as a way of saying thank you. These small gestures left a lasting impression on me and shaped how I express generosity as an adult.
My father was also a strong example—he was always willing to give back to those in need, including the houseless and less fortunate, whenever he could. Coming from an African family, I’ve been taught that if you’re able to help someone, there’s no reason not to. It doesn’t cost anything to be kind, and that value has been deeply instilled in me.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
For those who don’t know me, my name is Sani, and I go by Shots by Sani on Instagram. I’ve been doing photography for almost four years now—soon to be five—and it’s been an incredible journey. I’ve always had a deep appreciation for all forms of art. Whether it’s photography, hand-drawn art, digital art, visual art, performing arts, or music, I love immersing myself in creative expression.
I try to take inspiration from everything I experience and weave it into my photography to create something unique. This past year, I’ve taken a bit of a step back from creating personal stories through my work. However, in 2025, I’m ready to reconnect with myself and focus on producing something I truly love and can be proud of.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back on my journey, I realize I spent a lot of time focusing on other people’s work instead of my own. In photography, it’s easy to let outside influences cloud your judgment. That’s why it’s so important to have confidence in your own work and learn to block out the noise, because there will always be noise.
Reflecting on my later years in college, I started to find my groove. One trend I noticed was that I often thought a shoot was bad in the moment, only to look back during the post-editing process and learn to appreciate it. This taught me that I still need to work on trusting my skills and judgment in the moment.
The best way to grow in this field is to give yourself permission to make mistakes and create imperfect work—because it’s inevitable. Not everything you create will be great, and that’s okay. I used to get so caught up in striving for perfection that it led to decision paralysis at times. Now, I’m learning to embrace the process, imperfections and all, as part of the journey.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed in this field, I’ve realized it often stems from a lack of planning and taking on too much at once. In photography, when you overload yourself, other aspects of your work inevitably start to suffer because you can’t give each project the attention and energy it deserves. If you’re truly serious about your craft and care about the quality of your work, it’s essential to understand your personal limits and manage your workload accordingly. Knowing how much you can handle at one time is key to maintaining balance and producing your best work.
However, even in times when I haven’t taken on too much but still feel overwhelmed, I’ve found that a few simple practices help. Taking a moment to pause, breathe, and remind myself that what I’m doing is meaningful and has a purpose can make a big difference. Oftentimes, anxiety stems from uncertainty, so taking the time to reflect on why I’m doing something can help alleviate a lot of the nerves. Drinking a bottle of water and meditating in the moment does wonders for me.
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Sani Mohammed
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