Room to Create: Mikaya Green on Art and Life in the Ohio Valley

The ability to capture a moment and create a memory is a skill that local photographer Mikaya Green has seamlessly brought to the Ohio Valley. With a vast portfolio of work that makes even the most skilled photographer jealous, Green, owner of Green’s Photography LLC, is nearing the one-year anniversary of operating independently in the area.

Green, a native of both Wheeling, WV, and Bridgeport, OH, graduated from Bridgeport High School in 2015 before attending Brooklyn College in New York where she studied film and photography.

After completing her degree in 2019, Green brought her skills back to Wheeling and began working in media at local news station WTRF. Through collaboration with other local artists and friends, Green co-founded Better Together Moments, a local business focused on photography, videography, and weddings. Better Together Moments serviced the Ohio Valley for six years before the group began shifting their focus toward new pathways. From that shift, Green’s Photography LLC came to be.

Even just a quick view of Green’s work shows the depth of her prolific eye for photography. Her website explains, “Green’s Photography is rooted in authenticity, inclusivity, and connection. I prioritize real moments over stiff poses and create images that feel timeless, emotional, and deeply personal.”

In addition to her photography business, Green has created a lifestyle that completely enmeshed in her art; She teaches photography and media at Shadyside High School in Ohio.

“It’s amazing to be able to do this all day every single day. I get to extend everything I’ve learned, and I get to teach kids to be excited about photography,” Green explains.

Green is able to incorporate many her personal favorite photography styles, such as Super 8 film, black-and-white aesthetics, and timeless photography, while still creating images that feel deeply personal to each client. She particularly enjoys capturing the celebration of all types of couples and families, particularly through her work in queer photography. That business has grown exponentially in Wheeling over the last year, in part through her presence in the growth of the city, her investment in local businesses, and her involvement in Wheeling’s Friendlier City Project, a LGBTQ+ non-profit organization. Green is a newlywed herself, and she and her new wife, Kayla, currently reside in Bethlehem.

“West Virginia may not be the first place people think of when they think about LGBTQ+ art and creative spaces, but I’m here, and I’m proud to be here living authentically as myself. I love that my photography gives me the opportunity to create a space where all kinds of people, couples, and families can feel seen, celebrated, and have their lives and memories captured.”

Green is also the co-owner of a recently opened wedding venue in St. Clairsville, Crescent Acres, further expanding the ways in which she is investing her creativity and energy into the Ohio Valley. The creative community in Wheeling is vast, and Green has welcomed the ability to contribute and build a home here.

“There are so many artists in Wheeling. It’s a super talented community and it’s constantly changing and evolving. I once felt I needed to move away from this area to be my authentic self. So many people feel they need to move away, but now Wheeling is growing, and it’s filled with young people and young creatives, all of whom want to stay and make Wheeling better,” Green explains.

Today, you can find Green teaching, building her photography portfolio, and creating memories for families, couples, weddings, and graduating seniors. She is scheduled to participate in an upcoming creative shoot with YNST magazine and John Russell, a recent Emmy-winning journalist known for political commentary and documenting life in West Virginia.

As a teacher, Green offers poignant advice for all young artists:

“Put yourself out there. Fake it until you make it. A lot of people feel they aren’t good enough or smart enough, and it’s really easy to get imposter syndrome. Putting yourself out there and creating art and making art is the end goal. Actively create art. There’s enough for all of us. There’s so much room for growth in Wheeling.”

For Green, photography has become more than a career. It has become a way to connect with people, contribute to her community, and create a life that allows her to remain authentic to who she is.

Learn more about Green’s Photography by checking out Green’s Photography LLC on Facebook and Instagram or visiting www.greensphotography.com