Johns Hopkins nEwsletter

A fashionable Hopkins duo reclaims empowerment with their business

“If you’ve been engaged with social media recently, there’s a chance that you’ve been blessed with the effervescence that illuminates from a particular Instagram page: @by.pedestal. Characterized by a unique vibrancy — one that often appears with the stroke of a signature eyeline — Pedestal is an up-and-coming styling and photography business founded by seniors Mecca McDonald and Celeste O’Connor.

In witnessing this prevalent predatory nature within the male-dominated photography industry, the duo thus wanted to create a platform — now known as Pedestal — that achieved the exact opposite. They aimed to create an environment where people could feel comfortable before a camera lens. While they clarified that their official name is Pedestal and not “by.pedestal,” their social media handle is simply reflective of the way in which they claim ownership of their creative processes.

If the duo’s inspiration comes from each other, Pedestal’s business model is based on that very exact essence: authenticity, uplifting empowerment and — most importantly — human connection.”