Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Winkler
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?
Photography has always been part of my life. I have several boxes of old physical prints going back to my elementary school days in the late 80’s. It was a hobby I always loved, but never considered as a career option.
When my daughter Juliet was born, I was part of this higher-end boutique children’s clothing group on Facebook. I used to post images of my daughter in different outfits, and people started messaging asking me to come photograph their children. I had made friendships with other mom’s in the groups, so I planned a trip out to Texas where a lot of them lived to meet in person. We styled our kiddos all in the same brand, and did a fun little photo shoot. Those images of course got posted and shared around different groups on Facebook, and before I knew it I was traveling almost every weekend to a different state for group photo shoots. I was even able to launch sessions in Paris, and have clients follow me all the way to the Eiffel Tower! It was kind of crazy and overwhelming, but I absolutely loved it!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A smooth road would have been really nice! Running a small business of any kind is hard, especially a photography/art business. It’s a really vulnerable position to create something from your heart, and then put it out there for people to judge as worthy or not. It has taken a long time for me to not take criticism of my work personally. It’s okay if I create an image that I love, and another person doesn’t feel the same way about it.
Relocating from Northern California to the South Bay with my family during the summer of 2020 was also really hard. It was nearly impossible to build a new client base, and keep my studio door open when most people weren’t even leaving their homes. All that, while also trying to home school my five kiddos was nuts! Thankfully I’m still creating.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
A few years ago, my focus and my “why” shifted. I had the incredibly humbling experience of traveling with my camera to an aftercare center for teen human trafficking survivors in Central America. I packed up a few of my fancy client dresses, and my goal was to let each girl choose something beautiful to wear. I wanted to give them individual time in front of the camera, and to let them experience the innocence and joy of just twirling around and being carefree. An experience that most of them were robbed of when they were taken to be trafficked. I wanted to provide a space where they could feel worthy, no matter what scars they carry. Listening to their painful stories, and having a couple of them tell me they didn’t deserve to wear the beautiful dresses just broke my heart.
Coming back home, it has been my mission to make sure each and every person who stands in front of my camera feels their strength, knows they are enough, and leaves the studio feeling confident and proud of who they are. I mainly photograph dancers now, and my hope is that you can see this power and strength as you look through my images. I want them to own whatever room they walk in, and to remember that the only thing they need to be is themselves.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
People might be surprised to learn that I run L Wink Photography solo. I personally work with all my clients, and I hand edit each and every image.
Fun fact: I read an average of about 300 books a year!.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lwinkphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lwinkphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L.WinkPhotographybyLindsayWinkler
- Twitter: https://x.com/lwinkphotog
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/LWinkPhotography
Image Credits
All Images taken by me; L Wink Photography.
