Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dani Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dani, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Back in 2019 I had a yearning to pick up my old, dusty (literally 10+ year old) Canon Rebel camera and start pursuing photography again. In high school, my parents gifted me a Canon Rebel to pursue my photography hobby. I loved taking photos of landscapes, my dogs and random things around the house. I worked at a ranch in high school so I quickly started bringing my camera along to capture the horses galloping around the pasture and giving my horse a photoshoot every other day. I had never photographed people until I had my daughter in late 2019. In early 2020, before the world changed with the pandemic, I told my husband I wanted to pursue photography as a creative outlet and to maybe make a little extra income. I hadn’t even upgraded my camera or shot a person that wasn’t my daughter yet. Crazy right!? I look back on that time and think my heart must have known something my brain did not.
Fast forward a few weeks, I started doing portrait shoots for some of my friends and just running around town playing with my camera. I knew I had the skill and watched a bunch of YouTube videos to learn some more advanced camera handling skills. Within a month or two, I upgraded to my Canon 6D Mark II, purchased a 50mm lens and learned to use all the features of my camera in Manual mode. My work quality significantly increased and seeing what I could create boosted my confidence exponentially.
After a few free shoots and slowly adding the work to my Instagram which had maybe 15 followers, all of whom were my friends and family, I started charging $50-$100 per shoot. I did solo portrait sessions and plenty of families. It was during that time I realized photographing the couples during my family sessions was my absolute favorite thing. I had a knack for connecting with couples and giving them prompts to elicit those natural, candid, in-love reactions. I went home and told my husband I was going to be a wedding photographer one day. Crazy again!
In September of 2020, only a few months into my “side hustle”, I booked my first wedding for December. I was referred by one of my relatives as their close friend’s daughter was getting married and still looking for a photographer. Immediately I started curating my couple’s portfolio work, learning how to have a wedding client consultation, gathered info to help them through the process and boom – they booked me! I couldn’t believe it! From that day, I watched YouTube videos on wedding day tips, wedding day behind-the-scenes and everything I could think of to prepare for the day. I also used the money they paid me for the wedding to buy a second camera, my Canon 5D Mark IV. This was THE camera everyone in the wedding photography industry was using as Canon shooters and I knew this was pertinent to my success. I then drove 5 hours to Miami to meet the couple and shoot an engagement session with them. The purpose of that was two-fold, I wanted to meet my couple and establish rapport, but I also wanted a REAL engagement shoot in my portfolio too. At this time, I was willing to do anything and everything I could think of to establish myself in the wedding industry. This was going to be my big break and I knew it.
The wedding took place in St. Augustine in December of 2020. The day was PERFECT and so fun. I worked 12 hours that day, from photographing the details and the bride getting ready, all the way to the last dance. I felt like I had been hit by a truck, but career-wise, I had never felt more fulfilled in my life. There really aren’t words to explain the joy I had in my heart capturing the most intimate moments of a couple’s union with their family and friends. At home, I poured my heart and soul into editing the couple’s photos. I was so proud of myself and also loved this creative outlet as a new mom. I wasn’t even considering myself a “professional wedding photographer” yet because I had only shot one wedding, but I started thinking this could be something I could do full-time one day. “Maybe in the next 3-5 years,” I told myself. Over time, the bookings started rolling in and I started booking last minute weddings which bolstered my portfolio, as well as couples seeking my services over a year in advance. That was truly humbling.
Fast forward to January 2022, I gave birth to my son and shot my first wedding of the year at 10 weeks postpartum. The bookings had been consistently rolling in and I had to turn away so much work leading up to my due date and in early postpartum. I told my husband I was using my 6 month maternity leave to see if this is something I could pursue full-time. Our “stretch goal” was that I could leave my corporate job in January of 2023, when our son turned 1. At only 4 months postpartum, I handed in my resignation after crunching the numbers and realizing “I can do this!”
Now I am truly living my dream – I’m a full-time wedding and lifestyle photographer, while raising my 3 year old and 8 month old at home. Just last week I shot a wedding in the beautiful North Carolina mountains and then drove back to Florida for a Saint Augustine wedding.
Looking back, my journey feels so surreal. I’m in awe that one day I said “I can be a wedding photographer” and in less than 2 years it has come to fruition and is an immensely fulfilling and lucrative career.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Dani, the owner and lead photographer of Indie West Photo. I’m of Puerto Rican and Barbadian descent, born in NYC and raised in Florida. I am a mom to two kids that keep me on my toes, Indie and Westin. And yes, my business is named after them. After giving birth to my daughter, Indie, my photography spark came back and I dove right in without looking back. Indie and Westin are my why – they have given me a new outlook on life – to enjoy and savor every moment, and they inspire me to be a better person. Raising them is also my motivation for pursuing a career I love. I want to show my kids that the sky is the limit and they don’t have to sustain themselves or their family on a corporate job if their heart isn’t in it. I want them to say “my mom loved her life, her career had meaning, and most of all, she loved us fiercely.”
As a wedding photographer, I offer local and destination wedding photography to my clients. I also offer lifestyle photography, which includes couples, engagements and maternity sessions. I will literally travel all over the world for my couples and their love. All of my clients receive a fully edited digital galleries, capturing everything from the major events to the candid, in-between moments of their day.
One thing I believe sets me apart, and which I’m incredibly proud of in my business, is my attention to detail of skin tones. Being a Latina with brown skin and warm, orange undertones, and having a family with all the beautiful and unique hues skin tones can be, I know how important it is for every single person to feel beautiful and like themselves in photos. I believe the photography industry as a whole can do better to understand how professionally editing photos needs to be inclusive of all shades and undertones of skin. When an interracial couple reaches out to shoot their engagement session or wedding with me, and the main reason is because they see representation in my portfolio, my heart swells with joy. It simultaneously makes me sad to hear I’m the only person they saw in the area with representation in my portfolio.
I want to be that change and I want to bring awareness that the BIPOC community needs photographers to care. Our community needs photographers to look at our skin and do their due diligence in editing photos so that we don’t look orange, green, yellow or gray. I want my clients and anyone interested in shooting with me that most of all, I listen. I listen to your likes and dislikes. I listen to everything from the concerns about your skin tone because you’re in an interracial relationship all the way to what matters (or doesn’t) on your wedding day. When you work with me, it’s about YOU and how I can tell your story in a way that is true to you.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
If I could go back and share resources with myself in the beginning of my journey, I would have so much to say! The number one thing I would tell myself is “take the leap of faith into investing in your education.” I really started level up in my business when I started receiving business coaching from other wedding photographers. I learned so much about editing and the technical side of photography for free from YouTube, but to run a successful wedding business, I don’t feel like all that information is just given for free. Finding a business coach you resonate with and admire is crucial. Don’t be afraid to sign up for that class, even if it costs some money. Every time I have signed up for a paid course, I have implemented workflows into my business that have leveled me up in some capacity. With that has always come a wedding client or increased income to more than cover the cost of that educational expense. To put it simply, investing in my education has helped me increase my salary.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
As a creative, I take my work very personally. I pour my heart and soul not only into the technical part of photography, but consistently developing my soft skills to offer an amazing client experience. As a one-woman show, every step I take, whether it’s learning new editing skills or how to improve my client experience, it’s personal to me. This isn’t just a job where I clock in and clock out for a check. Being a creative is part of who I am. Working as a creative is also a REAL job with a very real salary that supports my family. Overall, I think most creatives would agree their identity is tied to their job moreso than the average person. With all of that said, if you know a creative and you love their work, give them a compliment! It will mean so much more than you know. If you’ve ever received services from a creative, such as a photographer, or maybe you commissioned an art piece from someone, give them feedback and leave a review! Your words mean so much to us, and when you leave reviews, it truly helps us receive inquiries and continue to book clients. Some of my best clients have come from word of mouth and referrals.
Contact Info:
- Website: indiewestphoto.com
- Instagram: @indiewestphoto
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-alicea-brown/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrAMESlKVD9BoI-IncpFD7A
Image Credits
@indiewestphoto