Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Lucy.
Aaron, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I made the decision to be a photographer as a teen, having watched a film about photojournalists covering the Salvadoran civil war. I was fascinated with the power of photography and the depth of information and emotion that can be conveyed in a single image. I’ve been in love with photography ever since. I sold my first image to a national publication in New Zealand a few years later and the journey really began.
I relocated to Los Angeles in 2000. LA is a stimulating environment for a photographer, packed with creative, interesting people to shoot as well as iconic backdrops from the stunning architecture of Frank Gehry to the dark, deserted tunnels that snake beneath downtown. For the next 15 years, I shot for a variety of national and international magazines and newspapers as well as local and touring bands and even some product photography and headshots.
In 2016 I relocated to Denver to live closer to the mountains. I grew up in New Zealand and mountain biking and snowboarding have always been really important to me. Once here, I started looking around for a need I could fill in Denver. During this time, I came across the work of NY based headshot photographer Peter Hurley. Peter’s headshots immediately caught my attention. Technical and compositional perfection are hallmarks of Peters’s work, but what really got me excited was the level of expression and personality contained within his images. In LA, I’d seen thousands of headshots, but they never communicated so much about their subjects in such a genuine way. I immediately signed up for Peter’s coaching group (The Headshot Crew), which led me to Tommy Collier, founder of Denver Headshots. Tommy and I hit it off pretty quick and luckily for me, Tommy was also one of the best headshot photographers in the country! I started working with him at Denver Headshots and within six months, I was managing the studio and working as a full-time headshot photographer. I couldn’t be happier with what I am currently doing and have learned a ton from some exceptionally talented photographers. Thanks, Tommy and Peter!
Has it been a smooth road?
For a long time, I was very scattered as a photographer. I didn’t have a clear vision for what I wanted to shoot, which makes it really tough to run a business. I was shooting magazine profiles, products, music stuff, headshots. As a result, I had no clear pricing structure or marketing plan and seemed to spend half my days driving around the city, hunting for locations to shoot potential jobs. Working like this, you do become good at a lot of different things, especially solving problems! But it’s hard to really become exceptional.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
We absolutely specialize in headshot photography. We have a large two-room studio in the RiNo art district. One room is dedicated to headshots, while the other room can be used for full body and group portraits. We are known for exceptionally high-quality headshots and great customer service. We really do provide a great experience for our clients. Sometimes I can tell that people have not been looking forward to the appointment but by the time we are finished, they don’t want to leave. The process is much easier and more fun than expected.
We set ourselves apart by being dedicated to headshot photography. A lot of people do headshots as a sideline or also shoot weddings, family and senior portraits, real estate – you name it. Being specialized has enabled us to really streamline and elevate the service we provide. Working in a beautiful studio rather than outside or out of a spare room at home also helps!
That said, there are other excellent headshot photographers in Denver who I have no issue referring clients to if, for some reason, we do not suit their needs. I always encourage people to give me a call to discuss their requirements and am happy to help any way possible, even if that means recommending a different photographer.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Headshot photography is a growing industry, both in need for great headshots and in the quality of service being provided. It is no longer an afterthought but an essential branding and trust-building tool. Without a great headshot on display when somebody searches you online, you are missing out on opportunities and probably don’t even realize. Increasingly we live and work online. When you are not able to give people a sense of who you are in person, you need a great headshot out there doing the work for you. You never get a second chance at making a first impression!
There is a great event coming up that Denver Headshots will be a part of. The Headshot Crew and Headshotbooker.com are teaming up to provide free headshots for people who have lost their job due to the COVID19 pandemic. We will be part of a team of 200 photographers throughout the US who will shoot free headshots for 10,000 people is a single day, setting a world record in the process!
The event will happen on July 22nd. Anyone who is out of work as a result of the pandemic can go to www.headshotbooker.com to register.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3300 Walnut St
Studio 118 Denver Co 80205 - Website: www.denverheadshots.com
- Phone: 303 242 4454 Studio / 323 403 7044 Mobile
- Email: info@denverheadshots.com
- Instagram: @denverheadshots
- Facebook: @denverheadshotsdotcom
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/denver-headshots-by-tommy-collier-and-aaron-lucy-denver
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