“Meet Our Photographer ”

Daniel Winters

I’m Andy Winters, a Minnesota based photographer. In a world of specialists, I consider myself a generalist. If a subject inspires me, I shoot it! Currently, I do more portrait work than anything.

Shoot the scene – that is my visual style. What emotional impact do I want the viewer to have? What does the scene call for? That is what drives my creative style. Not everything needs to be “light and airy”.

To prepare for a shoot, I like to research it. I might use mood boards for inspiration or for a better feel for the client expectations. If I have a specific concept I am looking for, I may sketch my own lighting diagrams or storyboards. If I have not photographed a particular subject, I will read up on it looking for inspiration but not replication. If shooting an environmental portrait, I consider the environment. Where will I be shooting? What is in that space? What could go wrong? What can I do to minimize those risks? But even with all the prep work, that doesn’t might I strictly work within the plan. If something inspires me on set, we try it. My philosophy is “You don’t have to use a poor looking shot, but you can’t do anything with the shot you don’t take.

Once the project is completed, if it is for a client, I want them to say “These pictures are amazing! You exceeded our expectations!” For noncommissioned work, I want the viewer to stop and immerse themselves them in it. Let them conjure a story that resonates with them. Make it personal. While the “art” is mine, the interpretation might be uniquely theirs.

My favorite work was not a specific image, but a project. I was photographing a young woman-a rite of passage for those graduating from High School in the United States. She did not want to be there, which her accompanying mother had warned me about, and she was not shy about saying so. At first, she was just not positively engaging in the process. Forced smiles. Turning her face as if she were trying to hide. Trying to gain her confidence, I occasionally showed her the back of the screen to see what we were capturing. The shoot progressed. As we were finishing up and walking back to our cars she stopped. In a soft voice she reflectively said, “My freckles are kind of pretty aren’t they.”.

What do I want people to say about my work? About me? I would like them to say, “He gave us something better to see. He gave us more than we had.” For those who didn’t start the session this way, I want them to say, “My freckles are kind of pretty aren’t they.”.