Meet Denise Crew | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Denise Crew and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Denise, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Photography is my second career. In my first career in PR and marketing there came a point when I looked at my future and didn’t like what I saw. A good friend of mine had just died and I realized that this is it — we only have one life. Why did I want to waste it on something that wasn’t fulfilling? I desperately wanted to be an artist and photographer but wondered how that could be possible. I asked myself “what’s the worst thing that can happen?” and I said to myself that I’d be destitute and homeless. That was a risk I was willing to take to do something that I love. I didn’t think my work ethic to survive would let me fall so I realized I had nothing to lose.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a lifestyle photographer and artist. Early in my career, someone told me that you want your artwork to work for you even while you’re sleeping so diversify your work and get it in as many channels as you can. That’s easier said than done but I’ve loosely expanded my career over the past two decades in this way. I let it inspire me within my love of photography and all of the ideas I have. On one side I work with ad agencies, brands and magazines, and on the other I work for myself making art to sell. I call the second part my side hustle but love the freedom it provides me and the opportunity to try new things. I don’t know one fellow photographer who doesn’t hustle. It can be both exhilarating and exhausting. The industry is super competitive and the demand to stay up with technology and trends is intense. And now that all humans have a camera on their phone, photography is becoming commoditized and sometimes professionals are not valued as much as we should be. But when you strip this all away and just shoot for yourself, that’s when I think you find your voice. As I look back on my development as an artist, my early years were filled with an obsessive drive to shoot everything and shoot as often as possible. As long as I was making money with my camera, I didn’t care what I shot. But then slowly I realized what I don’t like to shoot and I found my jam with the things that excite me. It took a lot of time but I found out what makes me … me. I love surprises and mistakes. That’s one of my favorite things. I think it goes back to film and the excitement of waiting to get your images and see what you got. Because of digital and the immediacy of the medium, that can be lost. So I make room for it to happen on set. It could be that my settings were wrong when I snapped a shot but then loved the way it looked. Or if I’m directing someone in front of my lens and they do something totally different that results in a delicious surprise, I live for that. It’s also an old adage but I loved learning the rules so I could break them. The perfectionist in me just wants to do what’s right. But one of the biggest lessons I learned is that the unique thing I have to offer is my personality, my voice. My first big rule-breaker was The Ooey Gooey — when you shoot into the sun and get a thick yummy ooze of awesome light billowing around. The rules say you aren’t supposed to shoot into your light source but I love it. I think many photographers struggle with the duplicity of the business — needing to be a savvy business person while also having an artistic vision and skill. I can do the business side but it messes with my artistic side. It’s a constant internal battle to let go of the business side and go deeper into the art. Having agents and people to help makes it a lot easier. One thing I love about being a photographer in LA is the camaraderie and support of everyone in the industry here. It’s a small world filled with good people who are supportive and kind. I have the same network and support with women photographers everywhere. We all want to see each other win. We share all the things you’re not you’re not supposed to share in a man’s world — how much you made on a shoot or what you should charge a client, how you made a shot, how you got that job, who to call when you need something, recommending each other when you aren’t available but know they’d be great for it. Women are definitely the minority in the industry so it softens the blow with how hard it is to succeed. I’m really inspired by how many women in the industry are doing things to reduce the barriers for women.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A trip to the Hollywood Bowl for a picnic and concert is on top of the list — preferably the Sound of Music sing-a-long. An afternoon at The Broad and a visit to check out the Compton Cowboys, I’m obsessed with them. The Turkish breakfast at Botanica. An afternoon Dodger game and check out a game with our new women’s football club, Angel City. A drive up PCH for a beach day at El Matador. A horseback ride in Griffith Park to have lunch at Trails. Stop in at Clare V. and hope they buy me everything. A chocolate chip cookie at Proof. Drop off my repairs at Suay in Frogtown then ride bikes along the river. Grab wine at Silverlake Wine and a Bubs and Grandma baguette at Wine & Eggs. Get there early for the Rose Bowl flea market. Get Pizzas at Mozza2Go. Pickup some dinner at Cookbook Market in Echo Park. Get a drink and dinner at Cafe Stella. And the charcuterie board at Barbrix. Hike to the Hollywood sign. Road trip to Joshua Tree.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My big break came when I was working as a production assistant for the photo team on America’s Next Top Model. My job was not glamorous — I schlepped heavy boxes, setup crafty and did coffee runs for talent. But I hustled, showed up early, stayed late, developed friendships, watched things intensely and asked a lot of questions while remaining professional and discreet. Slowly I started getting more and more responsibility in photo production. One day, the photographer who was supposed to do the ‘fading shot’ — the layered image of all the models that they showed at the end of the show, where the wooosh sound effect would fade-out the girl who was kicked off the show — couldn’t make it to LA so they asked me to shoot it. I’m so grateful that someone took a chance on me and trusted me to do it.

Website: https://denisecrew.com

Instagram: @denisecrew

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecrew/

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/denisecrew/_saved/

Image Credits
©Denise Crew