My name is Nejla Ackdoe-Pagey,
and I am a 21-year-old photographer based in California. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, however from a young age I’ve had the privilege to explore many different parts of the world. I have parents from nearly-opposite ends of the earth — New Zealand and Turkey — and every family adventure, whether it’s making cranberry scones with my grandma in the South Island, or walking along the Bosporus in Istanbul, instills in me a wanderlust so strong that it fuels my passion to make traveling my future lifestyle. Wanderin’ Photography was born from my passion for visual storytelling and connecting with the world around me.
I also grew up as a performer, dancing competitively and participating in local musical theatre productions. However, some of the most rewarding jobs within the artistic community were those that required more behind-the-scenes work, such as the media team that observed each scene, ready to capture the best moments.
When I was eleven, I got my first camera for my birthday. Although I started out as the paparazzi on family vacations, my eye quickly turned to the diverse urban and natural landscapes around me. I became further inspired reading about esteemed photojournalists such as Paul Nicklen, along with studying the new-age feminist demographic of solo female travelers.
In high school, I started volunteering as a photographer, following groups of performers to restaurant fundraisers, concerts in the park, and even a few events with Make-A-Wish Bay Area. Being able to capture the most beautiful interactions within the community, from making a child’s wish to go to Disneyland come true, to the second-grader singing in front of an audience for the first time, was an unmatched privilege.
My goal as a photographer is to preserve the most special memories and make them last a lifetime. I aim to find the carefree dancing at birthday parties with friends, the warm hugs shared between graduating seniors after they toss their cap in the air, the starstruck fans as they watch their idol perform on the big stage, and the performers themselves as they interact with their newest audience. My event photography shares the most beautiful, unfiltered emotions to inspire authenticity and to foster joy through art.
Moreover, forging new connections in diverse natural and cultural environments expands people’s minds, inspiring them to not just accept but embrace diversity. It is imperative that we help preserve for future generations all of the incredible diversity that we lay our eyes upon. As a travel photographer, I aim to share the beauty of our world to underline the importance of protecting it. I hope that by sharing a fraction of the views I’ve been fortunate enough to witness, others will not only be inspired to set off on their own adventures, but become driven to push for change in a global environment that is not being protected.
