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

Hi Gunnison, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
My business has taught me that in order to do well, in order to succeed, you have to give things time, and you have to let yourself improve. One of the things I find really hard to do in my business is “sit still”, so to speak. I’m always looking for a new idea, whether that be a new marketing strategy, a new portrait technique, a new idea as far as using poses or props in my photos. Part of what makes running my business fun is that I get to work on those ideas on my own, I get to study and teach myself how to do all of those and improve my skills constantly. To me, that’s a really fun and engaging way to improve yourself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I believe that what sets my portraits apart is a lot of them are shot on film! I use cameras as old as 1952 to capture portraits for people in a different way, primarily High School senior portraits as well as lifestyle portraits. Why film though? Film is something I started dabbling into in early 2023, and I was instantly hooked. By spring 2023, I was shooting some portraits and I decided to mix the portrait idea and the film idea. The first photoshoot that I tried film with, I was just shocked with the results! Film is so colorful, so rich and beautiful. Plus, that classic bit of grain on the photo is awesome. So not long after that I ran further with that idea, and now I offer film photoshoots! The cameras are a big part of it. These old cameras are all very mechanical, and really bring you back to the basics and what the art of photography truly is. I haven’t always done portraits though. I established my business in 2021 selling prints when I was still in High School, and it’s evolved quite a bit from there. I wound up starting portrait photography because a coworker of mine at the local ranch supply store asked me to take some photos for her, so I tried that and really enjoyed it! I think portraits are a great niche to settle into though, you get a very genuine human connection that you don’t get with many other forms of photography. I should also mention that in addition to the film portraits, I do digital portraits as well, so my clients have plenty of options, and I customize photo sessions quite a bit.
And it isn’t always easy. As someone who’s newer to this industry, you have your slower seasons. I’ve found that what helps during times when things are slow is to educate yourself. Right now I’m studying some 1940s-50s photography books, and it’s really eye opening because you get a fresh perspective on film photography, and photography in general. Those books are a big inspiration too, one of the things I’m working on at the moment is bringing back the style of portraits from that era, with vivid colors and beautiful blue skies.
A lot of those old photos were on slide film too, and that’s something I’m leaning toward now as well. That experience of having the physical photos that you can see against a light or in an old slideshow projector, I think that’s pretty cool and that’s something I’m bringing to the table for my clients.
For other things I want the world to know about my business and story, there are a couple things. First is that this isn’t all I do. I work a regular job too at the Montrose, Colorado Visitor Center, so I meet a lot of people and I’ve gained a lot of valuable social skills there. That job is also fairly flexible as far as scheduling, so I’m blessed to have that because it makes it easy to run my business as well. The other thing is that I do other types of photography as well! I do a lot of work in the press sector here, shooting all sorts of events, and I’m an aviation and motorsport photographer as well. There’s a lot of value in finding a niche to fit into, but I think, especially when you’re as young as I am, it’s great to diversify too. I’ve learned so many different skills from all my photo genres, and each one of those skills roll into everything else I do.

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.
Ooh, the itinerary could be the length of the whole article with as much as there is to do around here! Starting in town, Looney Bean is where I’d be for coffee. That was my first job and those people have a special place in my heart. Montrose has some great museums, so I’d take them to the Museum of the Mountain West, where I used to volunteer. Next up would be Camp Robber restaurant for lunch, then the Rose Bowl bowling alley in the evening! Outside of town, I’d take them to Ouray, do some hiking, go to the Black Canyon, and spend a lot of the time around Silver Jack Reservoir hiking all the great trails down there!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people I could shoutout! I have to thank my family first. I was homeschooled, and that gave me a lot of time to explore photography and gain some creative freedom. My parents have always done such a great job helping me along my journey. Another thank you goes to William Woody. He’s a coworker of mine, and a great photographer with a long career in the press. He’s taught me a lot of things, and continues to today. He also sold me my first Medium Format film camera which I absolutely love! I also want to shoutout my younger brother Zachary who is a fantastic and inspiring artist. His business is Zachart Studio. Finally, the biggest one, I have to thank God for being at the core of who I am, and keeping me grounded and always looking to improve upon myself and my faith.

  

Website: gunnisonclampphotography.com

Instagram: gunnison_c_portraits for portraiture, gunnison_c_photography for general photography.

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gunnison-clamp-photography-montrose?osq=Gunnison+Clamp+Photography&override_cta=Request+information

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMwi4n7JW_CIOvOK-PW4hmw

Image Credits
My personal photo was taken by Ashley McKee Photography, from Montrose. All other photos are my own, copyright Gunnison Clamp Photography.

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