We recently connected with Lindsey Velotta and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lindsey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Well, its hard to describe how I got my love of photography. I was visiting my sister and brother in law out in Oregon with one of my best friends. He and I wanted to go hike in the back country and get some killer views of Mount Hood. What felt like for hours driving, we made it to our first trail. We had the usual snacks, water, phones that didn’t have cell service. What I didn’t know was that he brought his DSLR camera to take photos and to document our adventures. At that time I had no idea how to use a camera except the film style. After a little bit of hiking, getting lost, and being back on the right trail, he asked if I wanted to try and use his camera. So I agreed and took my first photo that changed everything. I had no idea how it looked or how it should look from a perspective. In his eyes it looked awesome. In my eyes, it told a story. What ended up being a great hike and photography session, we were on our way back to Portland. My brother in law also is a photographer and we showed him the photos I took that day. He thought it was my best friend that took them and not me. He said, “you can go far with this Lindsey if you actually study and go out and shoot whatever you can.”

Fast forward to a few years later. I was a drop out of college, working as a manager at my local Starbucks. I became friends with a coworker of mine who asked me one day in January of 2016 if I wanted to go on a hike. Little did I know why she wanted to go on a hike. When I met up with her that morning, she had a bag full of camera gear. She explained to me she loves to go hike and take photos in her off time. She brought a extra body and a bunch of lenses with her because she wanted me to experience her love of photography. Here we are again in a holler in Northeast Ohio and she just tells me start taking photos. I start thinking what do I want to portray and what story do I want to tell throughout my photos. She then helps me with some tips and tricks. It was that day that I thought “well this is a neat hobby”. I begged my mom soon after to get me my first camera so I can continue to work on my hobby, and I taught myself how to use my camera, and use basic camera terminology. I took my camera everywhere and wanted to tell a story with my photos.

September 2018 I moved to Nashville Tennessee from Cleveland Ohio for work and a new start in life. I continued to grow with my photography. From a hobby to a passion. Wherever I was, usually my camera was with me. I started just taking photos for friends of mine from work and when I would still go hiking. It never really occurred to me I could make a passion into a business until my boyfriend mentioned it to me. He saw how I poured myself into my projects and how much I loved doing what I was doing. The more I was doing sessions for friends and family and the feedback I got from them, I felt like I really can succeed, but I was so terrified of failing. 2021 I launched Lindz V. Photography and since then I have grown into the photographer I want to be. Throughout every photo I take, I want to tell a story, show deep emotion, and want my audience to connect.

Lindsey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Lindsey Velotta. I am originally from Cleveland, Ohio and moved here to Nashville Tennessee in the summer of 2018. I am the owner of Lindz V. Photography that’s been in business since 2020. I provide photography and editing services to the greater middle Tennessee area. What sets me apart from others is a couple of different reasons. The first is that photography saved my life… literally! I was dealing with a lot of mental illness up until 2020. Photography was my way to escape and to express how I was feeling. Whenever I was depressed or anxious, I would always go pick up my camera and do what I loved to do. Now a days its still my outlet, but I am very grateful that I can still showcase emotion through those photos and love connecting with my audience and my clients. The second reason why my photography sets me apart from others is that I taught myself everything I need to know about photography. I am a individual who put a pause on college and who felt like they didn’t have a purpose in life. I wanted to do something better with my life. That’s why I pursued photography head on. I am proud of how far I have become with this. What turned from a hobby, to a passion, to ultimately my dream career. The opportunities to work with a diverse group of cliental and individuals that want to tell a story within their session. I am also proud of having a team of friends and family that continue to push me out of my comfort zone to try new things within my business.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a photographer is being able to see a idea turn into a dream for clients. When I start the process of talking to new or existing clients, I want to hear what they want out of their photography session. From there that’s when I will start thinking about areas around Nashville to see what would work best to tell their story. Then once I start to go through with editing, I will do multiple edits to one photo because I want to see what will show best of that emotion or feeling.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wished that I would have made connections with local photographers in Nashville earlier than later. I didn’t know how tight the photography community is here and it’s very coveted. I have connected with some of my coworkers from my other job who are also big in the community. I have been given guidance from them and ideas to help myself grow. Now being in the photography community, I have met plenty of talented individuals that want to see me expand my work and support me throughout my journey and business.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindzv_photography/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lvelotta
• Other: https://500px.com/p/lindzvphotography

Image Credits
Credits to Lindz V. Photography