Meet Dustin Moon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Moon.

Dustin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I picked up my first DSLR in February of 2018. A friend loaned one of his bodies to me right before I left for vacation in LA. Up until that point, I had always been taking photos on my phone during any outings or trips, and I was immediately hooked. I began with landscape and cityscape photography and then began doing portraits in the summer of 2018. From there, things escalated quickly, and now, I’m booking engagements, weddings, family portraits and more.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It absolutely has not always been smooth sailing! While going full-time into photography is the dream, I’m still balancing it with my day job. Sometimes, that means not having a day off for a couple of weeks. Learning how to keep growing my business and client base while not spreading myself too thin is a delicate balance.

I would also say that Denver has a LOT of photographers. In a dense, saturated market, there is always the challenge of wanting to stand out, but also the trap of getting caught in comparing my work to others who are grinding daily and have been killing it for years.

Luckily, I’ve been able to network with other like-minded individuals in photography, and have been fortunate to have learned from some of the best in the area.

Please tell us about Dustin Moon Visuals.
I shoot events, engagements, weddings, and a variety of portraiture. For the majority of my shoots, I’m shooting on-location and with natural light. I’m very particular of having an amazing environment or backdrop for my shoots; amazing scenery can do a lot to enhance a photo. It’s always great when you can put in that little extra effort to get to a killer backdrop to make a photo stand out.

I’m definitely proud of the growth my company has seen in the last six months compared to the first six months; it’s absolutely encouraging! A lot of the growth has come through positive word of mouth from clients I’ve been fortunate enough to work with. I think as a photographer, sometimes the people skills can get overlooked. You can know all of the camera specs and be a technically sound shooter, but if you can’t work with a client and make them feel comfortable and be their authentic self during a shoot, it could affect your final results. I think my background as a camp director and teacher has helped in terms of making a connection and putting someone at ease with getting a photo taken.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Tracked mileage off the bat! But on a serious note, as a photographer, it’s easy to get caught up with what’s trending on social media, especially Instagram. I think as I continue to progress, I’m striving to be a great photographer, not a great Instagrammer. Setting up shoots that reflect my style of photography, and keeping my editing style clean and classic are some aspects of this gig that I’m always keeping in mind.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.moonvisuals.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/dustinmoonvisuals
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dustinmoonvisuals

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.