Meet Anna Redman: Administrative Assistant & Photographer

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

Hi Anna, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I’ve always been a fairly safe person. I tend to gravitate toward the familiar. As a child, I remember hiding behind my mom at the first sign of risk, hoping she could shield me from whatever strange unknown lied ahead. As I’ve grown older, I’ve begun to recognize the correlation between major risk, and great, fulfilling things in my life. Most of my best career moves, relationships, and general life choices have involved some level of risk. I can’t say the risks have always been fun or exciting, but they’ve always scared me just a little. I think that’s how you gauge whether or not a risk is worth it — if it scares you a little, it might be worth chasing. Starting my photo business was terrifying for me. My business is young, and I’m still figuring it all out (most days, I have no idea what I’m doing), but I continue to ride that same, terrifying high on a regular basis. Fear can be incredibly motivating, and while I still sometimes struggle to allow it to actually push me, it’s extremely gratifying to recognize that it can when I let it. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In 2017, I fell into a deep depression. Early in the year, I walked away from a relationship that often left me feeling unfulfilled and uninspired. I hardly remember doing the things I loved to do, like playing guitar, or picking up my camera throughout that relationship. When it ended, I was absolutely devastated. I had to pack up the life I’d known for 5 years, reassess, and close that chapter of my life. That summer, a friend was moving back to Colorado after a year away, so I loaded up my dog, Scully, and moved in with him. I spent the remainder of that year wishing I could stay curled up in my bed with Scully. But, instead of wallowing in the misery, I allowed myself to be dragged to the mountains with my new roommate. He was a photographer, and he was determined to make up for lost Colorado time. He spent weeks convincing me to kick the dust off my camera — so I did. I remember the first outing with my camera back in-hand. We arrived at Gross Reservoir with our dogs, just in time for golden hour. We found a spot, hopped out of the car, and started exploring. I shot more that afternoon than I had in years. On the way home, we stopped at a nearby trailhead just to check it out. I climbed a steep hill, found a patch of wildflowers, and went to town. When I got home, I loaded my fresh photos onto my computer, and I was in awe of one photo. For the first time in months, I could see the beauty of the world around me. From that moment on, I was hooked again. Each day that I went exploring with my camera, the sun began to shine a little brighter. I spent the next couple of years just enjoying taking the prettiest photos I possibly could. Sometimes, I still look back on those early photos in awe and wonder what my life would look like today if I hadn’t picked up my camera again. But then again, I’m glad I will never know.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
All visits to the Denver area require at least one stop at Rocky Mountain National Park! We’d pick up breakfast burritos from Locos Hermanos in Louisville, and, depending on the season, go sledding at Hidden Valley, or drive Trail Ridge Road. The next day, we’d stroll down Pearl Street in Boulder, maybe take a drive up Flagstaff Mountain, and then have dinner at the Rayback Collective, or Dark Horse. Wednesday, we would haul the kayaks up to Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, and pack a picnic. Thursday, we’d grab breakfast from Tangerine in Longmont, and then take the BrewHop Trolley to all the breweries in town. We’d wrap up the week by heading down to Garden of the Gods for a day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My old roommate, who encouraged me to pick up my camera for the first time in years. While this friend is no longer in my life, I will forever be grateful to him for all the days he dragged me out of bed and into the mountains.

Website: www.annaleesphotos.com
Instagram: @annaleesphotos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annaleesphotos