Life & Work with Iman Winfree

Today we’d like to introduce you to Iman Winfree.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always loved photography, probably since I was around 10 years old. I used to play around with my mom’s old film camera and buy the little disposable ones at CVS. I usually took pictures of my food and of nature, but what I really wanted to do was creative portraits. Being a young photographer without any real vision can make it hard to capture the photos you really want to capture, and so I started to take pictures of my friends in middle school and high school. I was 13 when I got my first digital Canon camera (which I still use today), and from there, I really perfected my vision. I booked my first paid client when I was 16, and the rest was history! Since then, my work has been featured as cover art for small-town musicians and more recently, in the Parade Inc. Back to School campaign. I love what I do, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere without photography.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say the biggest struggle has been finding consistency in the world of photography. Los Angeles has changed since I was a kid. The world of influencing has mixed in with just about every creative profession out there, and it makes it hard to know who to trust. Balancing mixing in new clients and servicing everyone’s needs and schedules and budgets all alone makes it quite difficult at times to focus on specific visions that you have for a creative project. And the industry is so fickle, so making it your full-time job is not ideal. I’ve found that a lot of people hire photographers and other creatives and don’t trust their vision, which makes it hard to do your job effectively, It has been mostly smooth, but you run into people who don’t have the greatest intentions and you deal with unprofessionalism just like in every job. But with every inconvenience, I’ve learned more and more about how to navigate them.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a creative portrait photographer. I specialize in human subjects and oversaturated editing. I’m best known for my fisheye angles and my photoshopped work. Basically, my job is to connect with clients and bring out their most colorful selves and playful poses. I’m proud of my entire career if I’m honest. When I started, I never thought I could make it this far in terms of touching people with my work. I came from a small town in the valley, and I built my career from the ground up. I think the style of my photography is what sets me apart from others because I don’t shy away from color. A lot of amateur photographers are scared to be bold because there are so many people who would rather take simple photos. I love animating my subjects and giving them creative freedom to be who they didn’t think they could be.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Being in a creative mindset makes me the happiest. I am a full-time student studying biology on my way to the pre-med track. And any student, especially a woman, in the STEM field will tell you that it is really easily to feel overwhelmed and burnt out. Living that life is rewarding, but you need to be able to have a balance. My photography makes me feel like I can breathe. I’m a people person, and I know how amazing it feels when you take something unconventional and make it beautiful. Making people around me happy makes me happy.

If we are talking about things unrelated to photography, I love painting and listening to music in my spare time. Going to the beach makes me happy (which is why a lot of my clients choose beach locations, I think my best work is always centered around there). Honorable mention is the ‘Mac Daddy’ sandwich from a business called The Melt, which was born out of San Francisco if I’m not mistaken. San Francisco is also one of my most favorite places to visit. I always feel extremely inspired and in my element when I go there.

Pricing:

• Basic session – $150 flat (this includes one outfit change and 25-40 photoshopped images)
• Basic session x – $200 flat (this includes two outfits and 30-45 photoshopped images)
• Two people session -$230 flat (everything the basic session includes)
• Group pricing- starts at $300 (depending on the art of people, the vision, etc)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/cowbutterbaby

Image Credits
Photo of myself taken by Nicki Nicole Photography (@ nicki.nicole.photography on Instagram)