We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel Jenkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Looking back, I don’t regret when I embarked on my creative career. After college, I spent the better part of a decade navigating my way through a more structured and corporate career path. I held various positions in the construction, real estate, and asset management worlds. There were moments that I gave serious thought to “blowing it all up” and trying something new. It wasn’t until I discovered my passion for photography that I began to consider how I could take a creative hobby and turn it into a career.
All that being said, what really propelled me to “take the leap” was an unexpected setback. I was laid off from my job in Real Estate Acquisitions and took some time to reflect on where I was and where/who I wanted to be. The timing was right – I had personal savings in place and could afford to take a risk on starting something on my own. As it turned out, the skillsets I’d developed over the course of my previous career were essential in starting up my own business. Accounting, organization, outreach, networking, business development, etc. are – in my view – imperative skills in starting and maintaining a business.
With all that in mind, I wouldn’t change my experience. Despite many moments of frustration, the skills I fostered in the corporate world were invaluable in starting my own business. I’d share that same sentiment with those thinking of taking their own leap. Be practical and smart. Understand that it’s a risk and be prepared for both success and setback along the way.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Daniel Jenkins, Photographer.
I own and manage my business, Daniel Jenkins Photography, based here in Denver, Colorado and taking on work across the country and world. Primarily my work is focused on the architectural, design, and travel/hospitality industries, however, I am expanding my client base in the commercial, editorial, and lifestyle spaces as well.
I’m very proud of the reputation I’m building within the industry – I believe that my focus on detail and storytelling help set me apart in the field. I aim to find and show emotion through my work. I believe my work is detailed, emotional, and thought provoking. I approach each project with a strong interest in understanding its background fully. With architectural photography in particular, I find that there is a need to slow down and find meaning behind the design… Why were certain materials used? How does the structure fit within its natural landscape or the built environment?
My end goal is to document my client’s projects while telling a story through the structure, its materials, and its surrounding landscapes as well as the overall impact these things have on the architecture itself. These same things translate to my work in travel and editorial photography. When I travel, what excites me most is creating photographs that capture the intersection of those elements, and that inspire the viewer to want to come see a place for themselves.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goals are fluid and ever-evolving, but my mission is to live a fulfilling and adventurous life. I’ve learned that Photography can take me to places and lead to experiences that drive me towards fulfilling that lifelong mission.
It’s inevitably a journey filled with challenge, setback, and success. To me, the mission to be authentic to oneself and strive to experience all that life has to offer goes hand in hand with the career I’ve embarked on. Life and Photography are beautiful and challenging at the same time. I’d rather face that than a comfortable and steady existence.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
To me, the most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is capturing and documenting life – both for myself, my family and friends, and my clients. It’s a special thing to photograph a moment, make it beautiful, and allow it to live on. When I look back at my work I’m able to feel those moments again. I can smell the air, feel the sun or rain on my skin, remember who was with me and what we were feeling or discussing. Creating photographs is an emotional and sometimes transcendental experience – for that reason alone being a photographer is a rewarding endeavor.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://danielscottjenkins.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielscottjenkins/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-jenkins-3b413546
Image Credits
All photographs created by Daniel Scott Jenkins