PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT: ED STEELE

You've seen the work of Ed Steele before. He's a photographer, but his work isn't the kind that slinks by you, unnoticed. Whether it's the super wide angles, unorthodox editing, or spicy subject matter, at least one of his photos has struck a chord with you before. Aside from that, his work is all over the Dallas Observer and the homepages of several local bands and burlesque dancers. Dude has the job that you dreamed of having in your high school photography class and he doesn't take it lightly. Steele is currently in the running for the Observer's "Best Music Photographer in North Texas," which you can vote for here. Read on for some silly questions about photography and cosplay. 

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Ed. You're weird. Who the hell are you and why are you in Denton?

Denton and I go way back. My parents moved to Denton when I was a kid, and I grew up and went to school here. It’s been amazing to watch Denton grow and change over the years – I remember a time when there was literally nothing to do and now some days there are literally so many great shows and events that it’s impossible to catch them all. I honestly don’t think there are many places on earth that have the music talent and creative people that we do.

You’ve recently been named as one of the 12 best music photographers in DFW by the Dallas Observer. How’s that sitting with you? Are you better than us now or is your head still normal-sized?

Oh Will, it’s been an honor and extremely exciting to be nominated and the support I’ve received is astounding. Have you seen the Frenchy’s van asking Denton to vote for me? When Frenchy sent me the picture I was blown away to be on the Van of Fame! My head is totally normal sized though; if not, my Loki helmet wouldn’t fit.

You seem to be out at the local festivals quite a bit nowadays. What are you looking for when you choose a person or group to photograph?

There’s a “look” some people have that jumps out at me, and it’s difficult to explain. I will typically scan a room and find someone who catches my eye, and then ask them if I can snap their photo. It can be someone with unusual features, interesting hair, a colorful outfit; it really differs from event to event. But that little voice in my head telling me “that’s someone I’d like to photograph!” is always the same.

What’s in your camera bag?

Frenchy says vote for Ed Steele. Photo from Frenchy. 

My Canon 5D, a 580EX II speedlite, various lenses depending on the job, extra batteries, the usual. Perhaps the two most important items I’d recommend to any music photographer are a Glotto Rocket-Air blaster for touchless cleaning of dust from lenses and the sensor, and an ASMP Media badge. I recently spoke on a panel of music photographers to a journalism class at Brookhaven College, and one of the challenges many of them faced was access at events. It can be tough if you’re not shooting for a publication and an American Society of Media Photographers badge prominently displayed on your camera strap demonstrates a level of professionalism. I recommended membership to ASMP to the class and a few of them have given me feedback that they’ve joined, which is great!

What’s been your favorite festival or ‘con to shoot so far? Why?

In 2012 I photographed “35 Des Refuses” and it was a blast to shoot for many reasons. Obviously with the sheer number of bands in Denton it’s impossible for the 35 Denton folks to have everyone play, so 35 Des Refuses (which means “of the rejects”) was comprised of bands that just wanted to perform but didn’t make it into 35D. The event was held at Creative Arts Studio and of course it rained, so the main performance area was moved inside and spillover was held at Robin’s photography studio next door. Needless to say it was sheer madness: delays, some bands not getting to perform, more rain, you name it. Denton’s Brave Combo performed at 35DR that night and one of my photos of their set is the insert in their current CD. I literally shot music for twelve hours straight, and at the end of it all I was totally exhausted but euphoric.

If you were to cosplay at a ‘con of your own volition (not as a photographer), what would you dress up as?

Loki or Frank the Bunny from “Donnie Darko.” Some have suggested a mashup of the two, but I can’t figure out a way to wear the Frank mask with the Loki Helmet!

How long does it take you to do your hair?

Haha! Having shaved my head for St. Baldrick’s Foundation two years in a row, it’s quite different to have a full head of hair now.

“My head is totally normal sized though; if not, my Loki helmet wouldn’t fit.”

— Ed Steele

Asian food or Mexican food?

Oh gosh, I love both and I love spicy food! I’ve spent too long on this question trying to decide and it’s making me hungry….you buying?

Nope. What’s been your favorite band to photograph?  

I’ve photographed Greg Ginn of Black Flag, Vanilla Ice, Amanda Palmer, Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless - many wonderful and talented bands. I got my start shooting bands in Denton though, and I’d have to say it’s a tie between Denton’s The Wee Beasties and Brave Combo. In both cases, each band has that magical quality of being able to get a crowd to dance like they’ve never danced before. I mean, it’s one thing to see a crowd go wild over a famous band, but the ability to get an audience that’s never heard you before go wild and dance like crazy, that’s an incredible and amazing talent. I got my start shooting The Wee Beasties and Brave Combo; the members of each have been incredibly wonderful and supportive of me over the years. LoveSick Mary is another great local band that’s been incredibly supportive and I always have a blast photographing them.

Do you prefer to shoot bands playing onstage or getting them in your studio?

I love these questions! That’s really tough because on stage leads to the anticipation of the moment and being in the right place at the right time which is a rush for me, and in the studio leads to all kinds of silliness and fun with props and general conversation. If I had to pick I’d say studio, because it gives me the opportunity to get to know the musicians better and to flex my creative vision and style.

Are there any local photographers whose work you dig? 

I’d have to say Robin Gansle. Not only is Robin a fantastic photographer, but she’s also been incredibly supportive.

Who are some other photographers whom you view as inspiration?

I am a big fan of Glen E. Friedman.

What’s your favorite photo that you have ever taken?

Last year I was hired by the band Responsible Johnny to do a band portrait. Rob Michaud of RJ told me he trusted my creative vision so after much brainstorming I decided I wanted to do a spaghetti western sci-fi shoot. For good measure I added a model and two members of the 501st Legion - a group who does Star Wars cosplay. I selected an abandoned train car as the location. The story goes that the train engine is actually two of the remaining engines that were converted from coal to steam and it awaits placement in a train museum. So with everyone in costume and permission from the property owners we did the shoot, the results of which you can see here. I always love it when people ask if the train and background are photoshopped because the only thing that’s not real is the planetoid I added in the top right corner.

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You can see more of Ed Steele's work at his website and you can vote for him for the Dallas Observer's "Best Music Photographer" contest here. 

INTERVIEW: SHAINA SHEAFF OF HELP-PORTRAIT: DENTON

Wedding and portrait photographer Shaina Sheaff 

Y'all know those 'grams of jazz and tacos we include on our Monday mornin' What We Did posts? Most of those belong to photographer Shaina Sheaff. Sheaff actually has a whole bunch of awesomeness on her plate at the moment. In addition to her wedding photography and portraiture, Sheaff is working on bringing Denton its first ever Help-Portrait event (which you can read more about in the interview). Read on to find out why she thinks Denton is a black hole and why she has a barbie shoe and tiny plastic lizard in her camera bag!

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WDDI: Hey Shaina! Tell us a little about yourself and your history with Denton.

Shaina Sheaff: I'm a bit of a townie. My parents moved back to Denton when I was six months old, and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say that I was raised here. I spent the majority of my childhood doing things like playing hide-and-seek all over UNT's campus, being afraid of the people who wore all black and hung out in Kharma Cafe, and watching my dad play chess with some of the Brave Combo guys at The Flying Tomato late at night. My mom and I moved to Muenster, TX for my high school years, but I came right back to Denton after a couple of years of college. This city is a black hole. You can leave, but you always end up coming back for more if you really love it.

Like most of us who have been here a while, I've had a love/hate relationship with Denton for years. Right now, I'm in the middle of being head-over-heels for this town. The creative community is thriving, people are collaborating together...it reminds me a lot of the Denton of my childhood because the art seems to have become more organic over the last few years. I keep saying that it's a great time to be a Dentonite, and it truly is - I'm excited about where our city is headed and I can't imagine ever wanting to move and raise my daughter anywhere else.

What is Help-Portrait?

Help-Portrait is a non-profit organization started by Jeremy Cowart five years ago this December. The idea is that groups of photographers, hairstylists, makeup artists, and volunteers all over the world join together to take and deliver professional portraits to people in their communities who might not otherwise have the opportunity to have that experience. As of last year, 20,371 photographers and 32,299 volunteers have given more than 282,295 portraits in 62 different countries. Pretty inspiring, to say the least.

Just over a month ago, a group of Denton photographers started talking about trying to organize a Help-Portrait event here in Denton. We didn't have much time, but we've been really overwhelmed by the positive response and the number of people who signed up to volunteer their time and are thrilled to see it coming to life!

What can Help-Portrait do for the Denton community?

This is our first year, and we're really excited to be working with the United Way (along with several other local organizations and groups) to find the families and individuals we'll be photographing. Denton Christian Preschool graciously offered their space to us to use on December 7th. An amazing group of hairstylists and makeup artists have signed up to volunteer their services and Sally Beauty Supply has donated all of our hair and makeup supplies. I think it's more than just providing hair and makeup, photographing them, and delivering prints, though. We want to really get to know these people and who they are. We want to invest in their lives and share a really great day with them.

“Both Denton and photography mean a lot to me...So, to be able to give back to my community with something that I’ve been blessed with and by is a really humbling and beautiful thing.”

Why are you excited about it?

I first heard about Help-Portrait a few years ago when I met Jeremy Cowart. I was really blown away by his work, but what really stood out was the heart he has for people. He's used his gifts to serve so many different people all over the world, and it was really inspiring to see such powerful images and stories. Both Denton and photography mean a lot to me, for reasons I can't even begin to describe. So, to be able to give back to my community with something that I've been blessed with and by is a really humbling and beautiful thing for me. And to see a group of people work so hard to make this happen in such a short amount of time is really inspiring. It's good to be reminded that the heart of Denton is truly built around our community and loving our neighbors.

A couple of us have already started making plans next year's Help-Portrait: Denton event. While we're keeping our numbers small this year, we hope to be able to rent a larger space in Denton and open the event up to the community. We'll be able to better plan for next year after this initial event, but we hope to be able to do things like provide clothing and food. Definitely some big dreams, but I have no doubt that we can make it happen.

What can we do to help?
We have around 30 people who have signed up to volunteer, but we still need sponsors to donate things like coffee, bottled water, and lunch for the people being photographed. We also desperately need photo paper, ink, and a sponsor to donate printing services for all of the forms we'll need to have beforehand. If you'd like to help sponsor the event, you can send a message to Sara Button. Outside of that, the best thing you can do is stay tuned to the Help-Portrait: Denton Facebook page for updates regarding our event next year.

How would you describe your own, personal, style of photography?

I could answer this in several different ways. My work has really changed over the years and leans towards being more artistic, emotional, and non-traditional - with a bit of editorial, fashion photography, and photojournalism mixed in. I feel like my style, at it's core, has more to do with the way that I interact with and get to know the people I work with and less to do with things like post-processing and composition, although that plays an important part as well. I want the people I photograph to feel like I've given them a true and honest image that accurately communicates who they are in a creative and flattering way. Being able to capture emotion and romance is a big part of the job description when you're a wedding photographer, and it took me a few years to recognize how important it was to really learn how to direct and communicate when you're shooting. I'm definitely still learning, so I hope that my style will continue to evolve and that my work will continue to improve as a result.

What’s your favorite non-human subject to shoot in Denton?

As strange as it sounds, I'm really in love with the buildings, particularly the older ones. (Well, it's a toss-up between that and my cat, Zelda. Or the tacos that I'm constantly craving.) In all seriousness, the architecture and character of the city stayed the same here for a long time, and I'm sad that I wasn't camera-happy back when the Fry Street and downtown areas were still intact. There's an old stone house that was built in the early 1940s in my neighborhood. I grew up going over there after school when I was a kid, so it's a bit of a landmark for me. If you follow me on Instagram, it shows up in my feed on a regular basis because I love the way the light reflects off it when the sun is setting throughout the year. The city is getting ready to tear it down soon and I've gone into a mild depression over it. I love all of the change that has come to Denton over the past few years, but I'm a sentimental person and I hate that a lot of the places that have made Denton "home" for me are slowly disappearing. That's why I'm trying to photograph as many of them as I possibly can before they're all gone.

Tell us one of your top-secret Denton shooting locations!

Never! Just kidding... We all know that places like the square have been photographed 20 million times. That part of Denton holds a special place in my heart and a large number of my clients request that we shoot there, so I just look for the spots that I don't see used in the work of other local photographers. I grew up visiting the old post office just off the square on an almost-daily basis. About a year ago, I was shooting an anniversary session for a couple who were in town from NYC and decided, on a whim, to pose them standing in the big windows there. I've had several couples request it since, and it's kind of become one of my favorite little spots to shoot.

A new favorite is Rasoi, the Indian food restaurant on Avenue C. I just shot an awesome portrait session with Horace Bray, a member of the One O'Clock Lab Band, there a couple of weeks ago! Such a random location - it's not a place you'd normally think of as an ideal spot to shoot portraits after dark, but we met up there around 9:00 PM one night and it was perfect! Bonus: we got to eat delicious samosas after shooting. Again, I try to find places that are unique to Denton, but that aren't over-used. My locations are typically right in front of all of us, so there's not really a "secret" one - I just try to push myself to view and capture Denton with a voice that is unique to the area in order to keep my job interesting, fun, and fresh. It's kind of like a scavenger hunt.

What’s the weirdest thing in your camera bag right now?

I just cleaned it out two days ago, but I pulled out a handful of small rocks and a fishing lure from a recent camping trip, a Barbie shoe and a plastic lizard, a tiny jade owl that a friend brought me from Alaska, and some Halloween candy. My camera bag goes pretty much everywhere with me (and I'm a mom), so I'm always finding random things in the side pocket.

What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you while shooting a wedding?

I recently shot this awesome circus-themed wedding in Boyd, Texas. The couple actually paid for a live monkey to hang out and pose for photographs with guests during the reception and I got to hold him towards the end of the night! He definitely took a second to paw through my hair, found something, and turned it into a snack. So, I've been groomed by a monkey while working and I have a photo to prove it! Not many people get to experience something like that in their workplace. Best job ever.

To whom do you look for inspiration as far as art or photography goes?

As far as wedding photographers go, Andria Lindquist is my favorite. Hands down. She captures love and emotion in such a beautifully artistic and creative way and I'm really looking forward to the day when I get to meet her and hopefully hire her. Annie Leibovitz, Noa Azoulay, Tara Whitney, Jeremy Cowart, and Sue Bryce are all favorite photographers of mine and they all create really unique and interesting art - you'll rarely see anything boring or "safe" in their portfolios.

There are a lot of local artists and photographers whose work I really admire, as well. I have quite a few large paintings by Rachael Steinberg hanging in my home, and I am blown away every time I see something new that she's created. Her use of color has been a huge inspiration to me in the way I shoot for several years now.

I really love the way both Thorpe Griner and Stephen Masker approach shooting landscape and travel photography - it's not really my niche, so my jaw drops regularly when either of them posts something new from a recent trip. I go to both of them regularly for advice or opinions on my photos before anyone else sees them because I have so much respect for the way they both shoot. Jessica Hume  shoots portraits in the studio and does some really awesome live music stuff, but she does it in a really fresh way - I often notice new things when I go back and look at her photographs more than once. I also recently met a new media major from UNT who is doing some really interesting things with video and sound - Olivia Brown. I'd love to have the chance to collaborate with her on a project of some sort in the future. I'm looking forward to meeting more artists like Olivia because I'm constantly inspired by what the people around me in this town are doing - whether it's an artist or a jazz musician or a photographer.

P.S. I really love seeing the photography on WDDI every week! I get hungry every time you guys review a restaurant.

What’s your dream photo-shoot?

Two things tie for the number one spot on my photography bucket list. One: I would love to shoot a destination wedding in Ireland. I want to see the world. Someone make it happen and I'll hook you up! Two: I would like to take Jay-Z's portrait in front of the place where he lived as a child in Brooklyn. It's a little random, I know... but I'm fascinated by the fact that our environments shape us as people early on - which becomes evident in every artist's work, and I think that would make for a really powerful portrait. Also, I'm kind of a superfan.

Thanks, Shaina!

Help-Portrait: Denton will be held on December 7, 2013 at Denton Christian Preschool at Erwin Hall, which is attached to First Presbyterian Church of Denton located at 1114 W. University Drive in Denton, Texas from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. If you can help or need more info, please contact Sara Button. 

You can check out more of Shaina Sheaff's photography on her website or Facebook page. 

PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW: THORPE GRINER

Hey Thorpe. Tell us a little about yourself and your history with Denton.

My name is Thorpe Griner and I moved to Denton in 2001 from Dallas, to start a new job.  I wasn't sure how I'd like Denton when I first arrived, but quickly found myself really enjoying this growing city.  My #1 hatred of living in Dallas was the traffic.  So the ability to get anywhere in Denton in about 15 minutes was pretty awesome.  While I work in the I.T. field, photography has been a growing passion for the last 16 years.  It started when I had to take photography in college has grown from there. You can see some of my work on my website here or on my Facebook here.  

How would you describe your style of photography?

At first thought I was going to say I don't really have a style.  But, everyone has a style whether they know it or not.  I shoot many different genres of photography but I think with people I tend to lean towards an editorial style, but that can change depending on the shoot.

Are there any other pros or cons when it comes to being a photographer in North Texas? If so, what are they?

This all depends on what you shoot.  If you're a landscape photographer, North Texas is horrible.  Take a vacation and go shoot Colorado, the Grand Canyon, New York City... then return to Denton.  Everytime I return home from traveling, I struggle to motivate myself to pick up the camera.  Not that there's nothing to shoot here in North Texas. 

You just have to be creative and create what you want to shoot.  Whether it's a killer portrait, a cityscape or local event.  It takes a little more research, patience and luck to build a quality portfolio if you do most your shooting here.  You can rarely just walk out your front door and find an epic photo opportunity. 

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You seem to shoot a lot of stuff with the local roller derby team. How do you go about representing them in your promo shots? Do you feel as if this team is marketed as well as it should be in town? Why or why not?

Yeah, I've shot roller derby for the past 3 years.  I shoot for the North Texas Derby Revolution here in Denton (NTDR), and the Dallas Derby Devils.  I enjoy shooting sports and roller derby is not only challenging to shoot, but a lot of fun as well!  It's a volunteer role with the leagues.  But it's nice being able to offer the skaters the opportunity to buy photos to remember their days as a derby girl.  I try to post only my best images of each event.  I feel this is beneficial to not only me but to the leagues.  As for marketing, the derby world depends on word of mouth and social media.  Most the leagues don't have a huge advertising budget, if any.  So it's nice to be able to promote and market them through my photography.

What’s your favorite photo that you, yourself, have ever taken?

I always enjoy taking a photo and turning it into something the people who were there will look at and say "Were we even in the same place?!".  I was able to create a very cool image with a photo I took while visiting Pompeii Italy.  I turned a very flat light, overcast evening into something you might see in a movie.  I took the photo in 2007 and to this day it remains one of my favorites.  (editor's note: the photo in question is pictured below)

What’s your favorite location to shoot in Denton?

I like to shoot in places that are not really recognizable so much as being Denton.  So I can't really say I have a "favorite location".  I'm always on the hunt for new locations.  A good location is a place which can give my photos a new look and feel.  I try to avoid the cliche Denton photo locations (unless a client insists on using it). When I see portraits shot at the Courthouse or at Old Alton Bridge, I want to gouge my eyes out. lol

Do you find it difficult working in a relatively small market that is heavily saturated with artistic-types and having to find potential gigs?

Honestly I don't.  Every photographer is at a different level, a different place on their journey in this craft.  So I believe everyone naturally finds the type of client who is a fit for them. Also, so many people shoot so many different things.  For example, I don't shoot weddings.  While others are content only shooting weddings.  Everyone finds their niche.  The DFW/North Texas area has plenty of photo opportunities out there. You just have to look to find them.

Have you found much collaboration in the Denton photography scene or has competition beat that down?

Ha! While there always has been and always will be photographers who feel ultra competitive among their peers, I've found Denton photographers to be fairly open to share and collaborate with.  I've always been involved in one or more camera clubs/groups, so I enjoy collaborating with other photographers.  On the flipside to this topic, Denton is comprised of mostly hobbyist, serious enthusiast and student photographers.  That in itself leads to a less competitive atmosphere.  Once someone turns that hobby into a full time profession, competition becomes more common because they're trying to make a living.  And doing that with photography, isn't easy. That said, even a full time pro can benefit from collaborating and networking.

What’s in your camera bag?

If I'm going on a photowalk event, I limit myself to no camera bag.  Just my camera with one lens. If I'm on an actual shoot, my camera bag contains 2 camera bodies, multiple lenses, multiple flashes and lots of various accessories... because I go into "boy scout- always be prepared" mode.  I hate the feeling of coming up with a creative idea and not having the gear to make it happen.

Who is your favorite local photographer? Why?

I have a lot of friends whose work I really admire. When it comes to engagement portraits and weddings, the work of Shaina Sheaff just floors me and reminds me why I should just stick to what I'm good at.  Another is friend Rocky Phillips and his passion for wildlife and macro photography is inspiring.  Great stuff!  Also there's my buddy Stephen Masker, who's a very talented photojournalist.  I really enjoy following all of their work!

Are there any other photographers whom you view as inspiration?

I follow so many accomplished and  some unknown photographers that sometimes it all becomes a blur.  But a few really stand out and influence and inspire my work.  I really enjoy learning from Joe McNally, David Hobby, Scott Kelby and many other pro's.  And the portrait lighting and editing of Peter Nguyen is amazing. This list could go on and on.  I follow A LOT of people.

What’s your dream photo shoot?

One of my favorite things to shoot is travel photography.  Traveling, seeing the world and sharing it with others is what I really enjoy.  One of my long time dream shoot locations is Antelope Canyon.  And in a few short weeks, I'll be turning that dream into reality.  I'm very excited about that!

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Are there any other photographers whom you view as inspiration?

I follow so many accomplished and  some unknown photographers that sometimes it all becomes a blur.  But a few really stand out and influence and inspire my work.  I really enjoy learning from Joe McNally, David Hobby, Scott Kelby and many other pro's.  And the portrait lighting and editing of Peter Nguyen is amazing. This list could go on and on.  I follow A LOT of people.

What’s your dream photo shoot?

One of my favorite things to shoot is travel photography.  Traveling, seeing the world and sharing it with others is what I really enjoy.  One of my long time dream shoot locations is Antelope Canyon.  And in a few short weeks, I'll be turning that dream into reality.  I'm very excited about that!

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PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT: WESLEY KIRK

Wesley Kirk is a man of many talents and endeavors. In addition to being a photographer, he also finds time to manage his own film distribution business, serve as president of the UNT Short Film Club, run a motivational poster campaign and that's just naming a few.  Wesley is an extremely motivated young man, and we look forward to what he will bring to our community of artists. We caught up with Wesley to see what he has to say. Here is Wesley Kirk and his binders full of women. 

photos by Wesley Kirk

​Tell us about yourself. 

My name is Wesley Kirk, but a lot of people know my photography by the name The Vision Beautiful. I’m a photographer/filmmaker from Fort Worth, TX. I like dressing sharp, listening to latin jazz & southern soul, watching Star Trek, going on adventures, making a fool of myself, and having long talks about outer space & cartoon shows.

My life in Denton is mostly spent at my computer, working on my businesses. Click Clack Short Films, a short film distribution company, Fail Better Posters, an inspirational / motivational poster company & social project, my photography company, and various other projects, collaborations, and schemes.

What brought you to photography?

I was about 12. My mom accidentally bought two cameras on ebay, and gave me the extra one, a fully-automatic 35mm point & shoot, not much better than a disposable camera. My dad had recently quit his job as an insurance adjuster, and gave me his 99 leftover rolls of film. They were both kind enough to develop whatever awful photos I took.

For my 17th birthday, my mom bought me a digital camera, not a good one, but one that would save them from having to develop all those awful pictures. Around that time, my friends and I started going on adventures around Fort Worth, exploring what we could, and I began to realize that photography was a pretty good way to keep some of my filmmaking skills sharp between movies.

Over the years, I ended up going on photoshoots more than film shoots, and people started knowing me more for my portraits than my short films. After a while, I finally started taking it seriously, getting myself a proper camera, fancy lenses, good equipment, and started perfecting my style.

Describe your style.

I'd describe my style as semi-candid cinematic portraits, where shoots tend to double as adventures.

What inspires you? ​

It’s hard to put a finger on what inspires me. I suppose the best I could answer is a good idea well executed. But what excites me most for a shoot is just a pretty lady, a fun idea we both came up with, golden light, and a place to roam around.

​How do you define a successful photograph?

Personally, I feel like a shoot was a success if I can't stop looking at the pictures. When I've captured that rare moment of reality looking as beautiful as it did in my mind's eye. It doesn't happen often, but every now and then, I'll do a shoot I'm so in love with that I'll keep pulling up the pictures again & again, and it'll remind me of when I was a kid and I'd spread out all my photos on my bedroom floor and think to myself "I made these."

What are the benefits and challenges of being a photographer in Denton?

The benefit is having lots of beautiful, talented, enthusiastic people around. There’s no shortage of gorgeous gals, brilliant artists, and fun people to collaborate with.

The challenge is finding good, new places to photograph. In Fort Worth, I had a variety of diverse locations, but Denton’s so small, it leaves me with few options to explore.

If you could be invisible for one day with your camera, where would you go?

I would time travel back to January 4th, 2010, Lesley Kerr’s last day in Texas, and I would photograph the way she looked at me, and the way we were together, our conversations and adventures. I wish I could remember it all better.

What is your favorite thing about Denton?

My favorite thing about Denton is that it’s small enough that I feel I can make a difference, make an impact, and leave my mark.

To find more from Wesley and to keep up on all of his scheming check him out on his....

​Website / Facebook / Tumblr / Instagram

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT: LAUREN APEL

Lauren Apel is one of the many young talents coming out of Denton. She has an eye for quality and an impressive drive. We caught up with Lauren to find out what life for a young photographer in Denton looks like. Read the interview and then follow Lauren for what I am sure will be a promising photography career. 

Pictured above is Lauren Apel and her husband Mark.

Tell us about yourself. What does life in Denton look like?

My name is Lauren Apel. I’m married to writer-musician-co-photographer-Mark Apel and we live in here in the great and wonderful Denton, Texas. We love it here. Denton has such a special culture. It feels like a small town, but it isn’t really all that small. And everyone you meet is an artist of some sort. There are so many musicians and designers and culinary artists—there’s always something going on. And when there isn’t, you can drive thirty minutes and be in Dallas or Forth Worth. We live in northern Denton. We both work in Denton—for UNT. I am a student at UNT as well. Mark leads worship at a new church in Corinth (Lake Sharon Community Church) and on the weekends we shoot weddings and portrait sessions.

What brought you to photography?

This is going to sound cliché, but I’ve always loved pictures. I always loved getting disposable cameras and taking them to summer camp or on trips or wherever. I remember being a thirteen year old and dressing my friends up and styling them and then posing them and taking their picture. And they were awful pictures. But I just loved it. I shot all the time. Five years ago a friend’s parents asked me to shoot their family portraits. It was my first paid job and I knew then that I loved it. It was the most wonderful thing.  

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Describe your style and what inspires you.

It is difficult to describe “my style.” I know what I like and what I don’t like. I like clean photographs if that makes any sense. I like them to look matte—like if you touched them. I also want them to look cohesive. If you scroll from the top page of my blog to the bottom, I want all of the images to have the same feel. I want the images to be consistent. In some ways, that is more important than anything else. Photography is like any other form of artistry—if you want to get better you practice and study. If you want to be a better writer, you write and you read. If you want to be a better photographer, you study the photographer’s work that you admire and identify what makes their images awesome. And you shoot everything.

How do you define a successful photograph?

A successful photograph is a hard thing to define. A successful photograph makes you feel something. Maybe it is as simple as feeling, “wow, that’s beautiful” or maybe it makes you tear up. A successful photograph makes you stop for a second to look at it. It makes you scroll slow.

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What are the benefits and challenges of being a photographer in Denton?

One of the biggest benefits of being a photographer in Denton is the supportive community of photographers that already exists in Denton. There are a LOT of photographers in the DFW, as I am sure you can imagine. Every interaction I have had with any of them has been positive. I think that is important. When I’m unable to take on a job, I love having five names that I can send to that client and being able to know that the names I sent are awesome people.

If you could be invisible one day with your camera, where would you go?

This might sound really lame, but it would be really cool to shoot behind the scenes of the Oscars—the rehearsals and sound checks before the event, and all the chaos that happens backstage. Stars getting their makeup touched up. The tech crew. All the little stuff. The presenters. I bet it’d be a lot of fun.

What is your favorite thing about Denton?

I would say the community. We have so many wonderful friends here. Friends that design custom mid-century furniture, friends that create beautifully hand crafted stationary, friends that make music, refurbish, paint, write, bake, and grow. There are a lot of big servant hearts in Denton that want to work for the good of the city. There are a lot of churches in Denton that want to work for the betterment of the city. It’s really neat to see. We live in a great community.

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