Hey, you made it to my blog! :) It’s been given a refresh and I’m excited to share what’s to come.

In my first post, I hope to answer here what I think your biggest question (or perceptions) might be.

Who is Stafi Samaki?

Who am I? What do I do? I am a freelance Casting Assistant and Photographer who runs BIB fka Black in Britain (by myself), a blog connecting audiences to Black talent, history, events and more. I’m a self-taught photographer, shooting in the studio since 2016, and since then have had some really incredible opportunities with multiple cameras added to my collection. Subsequently, I have gradually moved from Fashion to Film/TV, working more as a Casting Assistant and getting to explore the world of Film & TV from a different lens. Enjoying the place I’m in at the moment at a slow pace, creating the boundaries I need. I’m also really into history, archiving, and the obvious film. 

Why the (revamped) blog?

A (new) way to share my thoughts, review films (or you could follow my Letterboxd…), and ways to Break Barriers. I hope it’s also a tool to understand myself more and the direction I want in life, and a way to write more, I don’t want my mind to turn to mushy peas.

How did you get into Photography and Casting?

I did work experience in a photography studio when I was 15 and my life has been different ever since. From then, I wanted to do more shoots but needed models so I shared callouts on my Instagram. I didn’t know what I was doing had a term - Casting, until a Casting Director told me I had an eye for it. I dabbled in both Photography and Casting for a while, then the pandemic hit. I enrolled in the Casting Course at NFTS - the first ever course in the world for casting and made a change from working in Fashion to Film, TV & Theatre.

Expand on your work? Your creativity and style?

The common theme in my work is to share authentic stories that deserve to be celebrated on screens, stages, pages, and billboards everywhere. That’s what I want my work to do, say and show. That’s where my loyalty lies. (Did I just quote The Crown? Yes. Have I watched past S1 E4? No.) And in the various things I do, this bleeds out. I plan to continue to produce, create or work on pieces that provide these same messages to others.

With photography (well for a while) I’ve been rebuilding my relationship with the medium and working out what I want. It’s always been a vessel for me to share how I feel and capture words I can’t quite say. Being diagnosed with Dyslexia just before the pandemic hit, it started to make sense why I was better with visuals than words. I could never stay still or stay on the same thing for a long period of time and this was something that kept me engaged me.

Inspiration?

I get a lot of inspiration from my community, family archives, exploring places, and walking around a lot. Nan Goldin is one of my biggest inspirations.

Who is Bluey and Aberdeen?

Bluey is my fluffy dog I take with me sometimes. Our recent travels were to Paris and we had a lovely time despite the cold.

Aberdeen has been with me since secondary school. She hasn’t seen much of the world and I want her to. Get ready for the adventures of Bluey and Aberdeen.

What’s to come?

A silly goofy time. Stay tuned to find out.

Thank you for staying until the end. I’d love to know what you thought, please leave any thoughts or questions you may have. I fear, I can’t promise anything…