Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Grove.
Hi Daniel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I grew up in a creative family my brothers and I always drew fantastical places and characters. In middle school, I discovered the fun of photo manipulation using Adobe Photoshop. I could take an image (or several) and make it into something completely different that was fun to look at and interpret. During high school, I started taking my own images using the family’s Sony, pop-out lens, 3-megapixel camera.
This made it even more fun for me as I found the camera a unique art tool that captures a moment in time and from there you can enhance and display it forever after. I fell in love with taking portraits of my friends during my sophomore or junior year and would schedule photoshoots before school, during lunch, and afterward on the school campus. I still have all of those images thanks to meticulous backup hard drives. Zoom forward to 2021 I am so grateful that I’ve found a career in which I can do something that makes me happy, and makes my clients happy, something people want and seek out.
I’ve made a name for myself in the San Antonio photographers community and I love helping new photographers (in ways I never had when I began) and being inspired by others whose skills are way beyond mine. Photography (like any art form) is one that never finishes growing. As a photographer who’s also branched out in the videography world, I provide a variety of services to families, professionals, and organizations.
I know I should specialize in what I’m best at (creative portraits) but I just enjoy it all so much it’s hard to not do it all.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Self-employment is hard. Art careers are hard. Learning business when you’re just an artsy-fartsy person is the common dream killer for many photographers. Thankfully, I’ve stayed in the game learning as I go, always improving my services, quality, and making a sustainable income for my family.
I didn’t have anyone to mentor or correct me along the way. And I didn’t start out with beginners luck making amazing photos in my first year like I see some doing these days. I’m happy for them because it took me 8 years (alone) to get “good” in my eyes. Learning my value, importance, and power as a skilled photographer has also changed how successful I am but it’s a lot of mind battles with yourself when you finally put your foot down and decide to start charging 500 instead of 50.
But in recent years I’ve sought out mentorship and help in improving my business and systems and it’s made a world of difference.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I said I love it all so variety keeps me from burnout but I have found my strengths and what I love making most and I call it vaguely “creative portraits”.
This encompasses a few subgenres of portrait work 1. Cosplay 2. Themed photos and 3. composite editings I’ve made a good reputation in the local cosplay (costume play) communities in San Antonio by going to the big comic conventions and doing shoots (free and paid) for the cosplayers that want to see themselves not in a suit but in a different world and AS that character. I take cosplay photos to new levels with strategic location choices, poses, and special effects.
As for themed photos I have people hire me to do fun things like Viking photos, 1920s couples portraits, renaissance family photos, and other historical eras or styles. Lastly, with my “composite edits” I use 3D software and stock photos to build new environments around my subjects.
I literally take them out of the photo and put them in an amazing new place with amazing special effects, digital props, and authentic-looking edits so that even the super fans of that character will nod their head in approval.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If someone wants amazing photos they can’t get anywhere else they can always hire me but I also mentor photographers with training shoots and one on one lessons. I also have a Youtube channel (DanielGrovePhoto) where I post free tutorials and other content to inspire.
Contact Info:
- Email: daniel@danielgrovephoto.com
- Website: Danielgrovephoto.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/Danielgrovephoto
- Facebook: facebook.com/Danielgrovephotography
- Youtube: youtube.com/c/danielgrovephoto
Image Credits
Daniel Grove Photography 2021
