Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Mason.
Hi Aaron, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve been drawn to visual art for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I remember being fascinated with movies and the different media coming out, both in Hollywood movies as well as projects independent creators were making and sharing on YouTube. It was a realization that had a strong hold on me-Something could begin as an idea in another person’s head and, through enough imagination and effort, become a thing that complete strangers could get to experience, and perhaps even be moved by. As someone who had already taken a liking to drawing and writing, photography soon became the next medium to explore ideas and art through, though I originally had meant to use it as a stepping stone to getting better at filmmaking (something – to this day – I’m still inspired and passionate about). I’d never expected to resonate so strongly with photography though, and as I started taking pictures more and more, could feel my desire to do it more grow into a dream to pursue it.
I didn’t see much reason to wait until college to begin. I started seriously pursuing fine art photography while I was still in high school and found enough success with it to earn a scholarship to study art in college. I eventually earned my BFA in Art with an emphasis in Photography, though the four years between those two points were anything but a straight line. College gave me an excuse to be almost…creatively restless. I explored acting and film, painted, worked in graphic design, and generally tried my hand at whatever medium happened to interest me. Some stuck more than others. Photography, however, was the one I kept returning to. There was something about its peculiar combination of observation and creation—working with what already exists while still imposing your own perspective upon it—that resonated with me more than anything else.
After college, I moved to Denver and encountered the rather important distinction between making art in a classroom and trying to make a life from it. I began pursuing photography professionally and was fortunate enough to find myself shooting fashion and editorial work, along with concerts for some major artists. Each opportunity expanded my understanding of what photography could be and, perhaps more importantly, what I wanted my own work to become.
Today, I run my photography business, Morning Avenue | Photography Studio. Image making remains the foundation of my professional work, but I’ve never entirely lost that tendency to wander creatively. I still explore other mediums whenever I can, and I suspect I always will. The tools and circumstances have changed quite a bit since I was a kid drawing and writing constantly, but the underlying impulse really hasn’t: I like making things, I like making them well, and I hope to make things that are worth somebody else’s time to experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t call it a smooth road, no. I’d say one of the greatest struggles has been having an abundance of ideas and a considerably smaller pool of resources with which to realize them. There is rarely a shortage of things I want to create; time, money, energy, and opportunity are usually the scarcer commodities, and I think all artists brush up against those constraints at one point or another.
It’s a slow road, and I think one of the greatest challenges for any artist is simply to keep showing up—I’ve come to think that being an artist is less a matter of perpetual inspiration and more a commitment to your dream. You have to endure periods of creative bankruptcy, waning motivation, uncertainty, and the occasional suspicion that you have absolutely nothing worthwhile left to say—and then find some reason to sit down and do the work again anyway.
For me, longevity has increasingly meant recognizing and returning to one important thought: I’ve already arrived. I wanted to become a photographic artist, and now I get to spend my life making things. There will always be another milestone, another opportunity, another measure of success waiting to convince you that you haven’t quite made it yet. At some point, you have to detach yourself from the expectations and outcomes of others, appreciate the fact that you’re already doing the thing you once hoped you’d get to do, and then keep showing up for it.
As you know, we’re big fans of Morning Avenue | Photography Studio. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m currently in the process of building and establishing Morning Avenue, a photography studio centered around creating visuals and images for companies, artists and brands. It’s been the culmination of my work and experience as a freelance photographer, incorporating my skills and style into a service to help people with their own business endeavors. I’m drawn to capturing images that feel cinematic, nostalgic, and intentionally tell a story while also showing off my clients in the best way I can. Morning Avenue primarily works across portraits, events, and brand photography, and while each requires a different approach, the goal remains the same: to create images with atmosphere, personality, and a sense of story.
What I want to set Morning Avenue apart is an emphasis on the experience as much as the finished photographs. I’ve never been particularly interested in photography as a transaction where somebody appears, I press a button, and a folder of images changes hands. I want people to feel comfortable, involved, and genuinely taken care of throughout the process. And when the photographs are finished, I want them to have a life beyond simply looking good—to document something important, represent a business, support a campaign, or preserve a part of someone’s life worth remembering.
What I’m most proud of is that Morning Avenue has started with a focus on the individual person and their experience, and its a through line in all of my business as I continue to push it forward. I want the work to feel human, yet polished, and made with enough intention that it still means something to the client after the novelty of having new photographs has worn off. There are plenty of directions I’d like to take the studio from here, but I hope the principle remains simple: make good work, give people a good experience, and create photographs worth keeping.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think something invaluable right now is the sheer amount of access we have. Technology and social media have made it remarkably easy to find out what’s happening around us, whether that’s discovering a networking event or simply finding professionals who are already doing what you want to do. I cannot stress enough how important it’s been for me to be willing to reach out and say hello to people, introduce myself, and try to form a connection. So much can happen simply by saying yes to an invite, grabbing a coffee with someone new, or even just cracking a small joke with the person next to you in the food line. I think networking is largely a matter of, once again, showing up and being willing to genuinely connect with people.
Above all, show up your most comfortable and confident, and in whatever way is true to you. When I meet someone—even someone in my own field—photography is rarely what I’m most interested in talking about. I’ll mention it, of course, and happily talk shop if they want to, but I’m much more interested in learning about their interests. I connect much better over something like what their favorite video game is, what new hobby they’re obsessed with lately, or what they love doing when the spotlight isn’t fixed on their productivity. I’d sooner burn fifteen minutes at a party genuinely learning about something someone loves than spend those same fifteen minutes trying to sell them a service. People tend to remember how they connected with you, not your elevator speech, and I think there’s something wonderfully uncomplicated about that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.morningavenuephoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningavenuephoto/
