Celebrating Black creators at Adobe

Earlier this year, we launched Diverse Voices on Creative Cloud Discover, a place where we highlight the voices of diverse creators, share resources like scholarships and fellowships, and more.

We recently released a chapter celebrating the vibrant spectrum of perspectives from Black creators around the world. Now, we’re turning the lens inward to showcase some of the incredibly talented Black creators within our own employee community. Photographer Isaiah Everett is our first featured employee.

Hello! My name is Isaiah Everett, and I am currently a financial analyst on Adobe’s Americas Enterprise Finance team; however, I am truly passionate about photography and digital art and using creativity to inspire, express my imagination, and capture the beautiful people and places this world has to offer. Today, I hope to give you a glimpse into my mindset and introduce you to some of my artwork.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, I was introduced to photography at a very early age. My dad is a professional wedding and portrait photographer, so I am accustomed to being in front of the camera just as much as being behind the viewfinder. This comfortability around cameras added with an adventurous spirit has allowed me to find a form of self-expression through portraiture, landscape photography, self-portraiture, and photo manipulation.

Although I grew up in a photographic environment and took a few digital photography courses throughout high school, I didn’t seek out many opportunities in college. I graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in mathematics in June 2018, and I began my career at Adobe that August. I was super excited to be working for such an amazing company, but I felt I was still missing something. In November 2018, I upgraded my camera, and since then, I’ve challenged myself to be more adventurous and to continuously expand my creativity.

Untitled, January 2012. This is my first image created in Photoshop at the age of 15.

My motto, which is a play on my initials, I.C.E., is “Be Inspirational, Be Creative, Be You” (aka “Be I.C.Y.”). I believe that every individual is unique and beautiful in their own special way, so I challenge people to recognize their uniqueness by being confident in themselves, expressing their personality, and finding ways to create meaningful change within their communities. As I continue to grow as a photographer and entrepreneur, I hope to use my voice and my art to bring awareness to social issues and to help provide more platforms for other artists, especially artists of color, to showcase their amazing talents.

As an outgoing individual, I love to meet new people and learn their stories, so portraiture has become one of my favorite styles of photography. Capturing one’s essence and making them feel beautiful, empowered, and confident excites me, and it motivates me to keep creating and to keep developing my own style.

Landscape, cityscape, and nature photography are a form of therapy for me. Since living in the Bay Area, I’ve enjoyed exploring, and the Golden Gate Bridge has become one of my favorite landmarks to capture. I believe that spontaneity is a virtue, so grabbing my camera bag, going on new adventures, and exploring different locations allows me to clear my mind and stay active.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Henry David Thoreau. He once said, “This world is but a canvas to our imagination.” This quote resonates throughout my art as I use self-portraiture and photo manipulation to truly express my dynamic personality and create surreal and beautiful images. Some of my images were created with an underlying meaning, and others were created out of boredom, but at the end of the day, I enjoy using photography as a method of self-expression and I am evermore excited to continue evolving my creativity.

To view more of my photos and digital art, go to isaiaheverettphoto.com and follow @theisaiaheverett and @isaiaheverettphotography on Instagram. Thank you for reading my story, and I hope you feel inspired to be more adventurous and to spark your creativity!