We were lucky to catch up with Adrienne Heed recently and have shared our conversation below.

Adrienne, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I started photography from a young age when my dad worked at Kodak and would bring home cameras/film to test. When I was in high school, I ended up taking both photo classes and after school classes hosted by a university to get started on really learning the craft. I actually ended up getting a Keynote award before even going to college.
After high school, I first got an Associates in Visual Communications and then went on to a school that specialized in photography and the business of photography, getting a technical certificate. I learned from professors that not only taught at the colleges but were also still making a living as professionals in portrait and product photography.
The most essential skill is being able to adapt to an ever-changing technology and market.
The only obstacle standing in the way of learning more is there’s so much information now coming out that it’s difficult to know exactly what to listen to and what will make the most sense to learn.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Photography has been my passion since I was a young teen. After earning 2 degrees in the art of photography I worked in New York in various portrait studios, including one of the most sought-out, well established senior portrait studios in Rochester. I’ve worked as a catalog photographer for an online auction site and an art museum. I’ve also worked on the backside of photography, leading a team of retouchers to edit professional photos.

All of that has lead me here. I love playing with light and catching a mood. My look tends to be a mix of posed, playful, moody and vibrant all while reflecting my client’s personality. I love trying out new ideas with my clients! I’m proud that I’ve worked with so many amazing people in my career.

My main focus is High School Seniors, Couples and Pets. I have a small studio room in my home so I’m available for both on-location and studio work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the people I work with. I absolutely love my clients and I’ve literally worked with thousands through-out my journey.
Sometimes being photographed can make people feel awkward and unsure of themselves and I pride myself on letting them truly enjoy the process. Clients tell me how much fun they had after (including dads who are missing a football game and end up telling me they loved it)!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think society can support artists by really shopping local and seeing the value in the artist’s work. The artist’s life-force and bread is their work and I think a lot of people view photography as something that should be cheap or free. Artists cannot live on providing free work and our art is going to be better than even the best phone camera or AI generated image, because it’s more genuine and authentic.
I would love to see communities really provided a space for artists to showcase their work on a regular basis. I think it would not only help the artist but improve the community, drive traffic to the town and help the economy as a whole.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://adrienneheedphotography.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrienneheedphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094100292440