It’s a big day in the personal news department. After seven years at The Denver Post, I have made the leap into running A&D Photography full-time. Cue the cocktail of excitement, nostalgia, glee and a healthy dose of jitters.
Five years ago, Dan and I started A&D as a wedding photography studio. At the time, we anticipated I would take over the day-to-day operations shortly thereafter. But before such a move could happen, I had a wonderful opportunity come along to be a staff photographer for YourHub, the local section at the Post newspaper. It was an unexpected career move, but one at which I eagerly took on.
I had the honor of photographing a diverse number of stories while there, from non-profits fighting every day to serve their communities, to kids raising their cows and sheep for auction at the county fair, to firefighters training to save lives, to professional Wild West re-enactors. I wandered through artists’ studios, rode along with policemen on patrol, saw the city from the air aboard a helicopter, visited dozens of local businesses.
It is humbling to consider all the lives I’ve briefly run alongside. It’s the best part of being a journalist, bearing witness to many variations of humanity.
But the days and months carry on, your skills develop and aspirations change, and there comes a time when you must introduce new challenges into life and work so you can be sure you don’t cease to grow. That time is now.
I have spent the past month giving A&D some much needed TLC. We have a new web address (anya-dan.com, tell your friends); we have a new logo (care of my fabulous sister-in-law, Lisa Petty); our portfolios have been updated; our website is shiny and new; our home office is … OK, it’s still a work in progress; and I am adjusting nicely to being a full-time entrepreneur, business owner, and day-to-day manager of all things studio-related.
So what does this mean for all of you? Well, if you have any photo goals — wedding, editorial event coverage, family shoots — then I would love to talk to you about nurturing those into reality. If you’re a local creative who is looking to collaborate on a new idea, that is my jam, and I would love to meet you. I truly believe we all have stories worth sharing, and if I can help you do that, then all of this will be well worth it. Let’s go grab a coffee or cocktail and talk it out.
Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes looks at our shoots, posts showcasing weddings and lifestyle work, advice and tips on how to plan for your events, and more.
Here’s to new horizons, friends!
