Lindsey Denman
Lindsey Denman
Photographer / Artist
San Francisco, California
LindseyDenman.com
Instagram @lindseydenmanphoto
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I am a photographer & artist. I create genuine, fresh & intimate stories with my lens.”
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
My route has been circuitous, exciting & intuitive. As a little girl I wanted to be an artist when I grew up, but it was my post-college travels that paved a more coherent path into shooting professionally. Since then, I've worked on different commercial & lifestyle projects & a lot of weddings. I love shooting weddings for the raw emotion as well as tangible & thick storyline.
FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD, WHAT DO THEY USUALLY LACK?
I really value being both personable & technically savvy, but it is a tough balancing act for many photographers. It’s ever so important to have both skill sets because we’re frequently working directly with humans. We have to quickly & intimately build a trust with our clients, & at the same time, produce imagery that will last them a lifetime.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Building in California. Lots of weddings & I’m working on developing a stronger voice through my writing with personal travel & social justice projects.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My flavor is genuine, fresh & intimate. I connect the most with meaningful, relevant narratives, & I love capturing all the details to make a story complete.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I’d really like to spend more time developing my writing & graphic design skills. I want to use my art for a greater good & words are a powerful way to ignite mindful discourse. For Black History Month this year, I compiled a list of books about the incredible black fathers, mothers, artists, doctors & ministers that shaped our country. This blog post is an example of how I plan to continue speaking through my work for a bigger effect.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Presets & homogenous styles. I love when I see original work & when I can tell an artist’s work based on their unique style. Presets & fancy gear lower the barrier to entry. This can be awesome & allow for new movement & creation in the industry. These tools can also falsely equip amateurs & therefore really devalue professional work. I enjoy a challenge but would love to see more people jumping on the photography bandwagon to stretch our creative boundaries, rather than saturate & create more cookie cutters.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I would have someone send my portfolio to different publishers, photo editors, art agencies, & even send grant proposals to galleries and organizations that fund artists. I definitely spend too much time on the work side & need more hours on the promotion side.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I often forget how young I am & how much room I have to grow. Even when I was younger I wanted to be bigger than I was & have always been anxious with sharing my work. I’d encourage my younger self to really lean into that strong & outspoken side, & to take as much coursework & as many opportunities as possible. #whoruntheworldGIRLS
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I'd love to talk to a more seasoned artist about their best breakthrough moves & working with an agent.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I am looking for freelance photography opportunities, & especially opportunities to do more intimate or travel-based work. I’m looking to collaborate more on creative projects & build my creative network of friends.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
In my ideal job, I am surrounded by like-minded humans in an inspiring open-concept space. My ideal clients value the work I do & feel moved by my message.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
Budgets vary depending on the project. To give an idea though, I do ask for a retainer to save work dates & my standard hourly rate is $150, portraits start at $375, elopements begin at $2250, weddings upwards of $3500.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email! Shoot me a concise, friendly email about a the project. Date? Vision? Budget? Sometimes during booking season & wedding season (aka all the seasons) it will take 24-48hrs for me to respond, but I’m generally stoked on inquires!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Interior design, deep dialogue & traveling.
This member profile was originally published in March 2017.