Today we’d like to introduce you to Lyndsey Lewis.
Lyndsey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Thirteen years ago, I was pregnant with baby boy number 3 (there would be four eventually), and not in any way looking for a job. I was a high school math teacher before my first baby and stopped teaching after he was born. Three years later, we were having baby #3 and I was continually frustrated about the quality of professional pictures taken at the mall! My hubby knew I had an interest in photography, so he went out and bought me my first camera, one of the very first digital SLRs available at the time and started to play. I reached out to my friends and took thousands of (bad) photos to practice. I did a few weddings, a few families, and some babies. I basically tried my hand in a lot of different genres of the industry but eventually focused on newborns and families. Even today, I try not to take jobs outside of my niche. I think that’s one thing that helped move my business forward over the years was specializing in one area and working at being a specialist and always trying to get better at the craft.
I wasn’t at all in business mode when I started. It was just something I was inspired by, though I was kinda good at, and it filled my creative cup. I taught myself photoshop and a few different design elements, along with practice and trying to perfect the art of newborn photography, which is not something you can just pick up. The business side of LyndseyLew Photography has grown because, I think, I have a genuine desire to give families the very best and that drives me to continue to learn and grow as the industry changes and evolves. It also comes from a genuine love for these families. They come back year after year and it’s a non-negotiable part of their journey as a family. For many of them, I have watched their kids grow up from tiny babies to graduating seniors. It’s pretty unbelievable to be able to be a part of a journey like that! In January of this year, I made the huge jump and moved out of my home studio and into a commercial space in downtown Windsor and I can’t wait to see where that leads us next.
Great, 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?
It has definitely not been an easy road!! I had my 4th boy a few years into the photography business and at the same time was being mom-teacher to my oldest two. I worked in the little margins of my life. Got up early to edit. Did newborn shoots in my kitchen by the sliding glass doors. Borrowed spaces in friends’ houses that had good natural light. I worked when my husband had time to stay with the boys, and stayed up way too late to get stuff done. Now that I think back, I don’t even remember what I did with them while I was shooting a newborn! It wasn’t until my youngest started kindergarten that I could breathe a little bit and see what it was like to work normal hours, and that was five years ago. My youngest is almost finished with 4th grade and it’s been in recent years that things have really taken off. Up until January, I hogged two rooms in our house for the studio and office, which was hard with a family of 6! It was that mental challenge of being content with my small space, making it work for what I need, and the physical effort of trying to keep the house clean as clients came in (for some reason, four boys kind of works against that).
We also waded through the recession in 2008. As one of many struggling small businesses, I just put my head down, kept putting myself out there through social media and kept moving forward. We took a big personal financial hit trying to sell a house in Texas during that time and things were tough. Social media, while at times such a great thing for businesses, has been challenging in the last few years because it can make it hard to focus on what I’m doing and not get distracted by what other photographers are doing. Like many of us, I struggle with the comparison game but I fight hard to not let it derail me. There are still struggles of course. There are an ebb and flow and while circumstances change, kids are older, the economy changes, it’s a daily job to manage it and deal with things as they come. As I’m writing this we are all experiencing a national crisis and an economy that has basically stopped. This is another interesting and unique challenge with so much that’s unknown about the future and business and the economy. But I am determined to stay the course and continue to do what I’ve done for the last 12 years, put my head down and do my best. I have to continue to learn new things, grow and be innovative, and make my LyndseyLew families smile.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a Newborn, Baby and Family Photographer, but I specialize in newborns. I’m known for building lasting relationships with clients and creating experiences for their families that are unforgettable and last forever. That comes through attention to detail, an artistic eye, and pursuing mastery of the craft. Being part of families means LyndseyLew Photography is becoming a recognized part of the community, and that impact is something I’m proud of. Once it evolved beyond a hobby for me, I knew I wanted to give back, which I do through supporting local charities and nonprofits in Northern Colorado. I also knew I wanted to own a commercial studio, which has now become reality. And lastly, I wanted the “LyndseyLew” name to be commonplace among other businesses and families in the Northern Colorado area.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
While I wish I could say it is my amazing business sense, I think it honestly is because I’m a perfectionist. I want my work to be perfect and I want my interaction with the family to be perfect. And not just perfect technically but I want the mom and dad to see their baby’s image and FEEL like it’s perfect. I want to have an emotional connection to the family, I want them to feel like I care about them and at the same time, I want their images to be perfect.
Contact Info:
- Address: LyndseyLew Studio
301 Main St Ste E
Windsor, CO 80550 - Website: lyndseylewphotography.com
- Phone: 9709808765
- Email: lyndseylewphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyndseylew
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyndseylewphoto
Image Credit:
LyndseyLew Photography
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.
