Meet Annelise Blackwood: Photographer + Creative Consultant

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

Hi Annelise, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted autonomy to create whatever and be whoever I wanted to be. I feel like creativity is a fluid concept and to put myself in a box would stifle a lot of that inspiration and childlike curiosity that is needed to forage new ideas and concepts. So, I guess I started my company with the hopes that it would mold and change over time to really capitalize on the way my brain works!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have never been one for “following the crowd” which my family will never let me forget, haha, but I guess I just always tried to think out of the box. Maybe when I was younger I did it to prove a point that I was, indeed, different than other people, which now is just something I realize is a universal truth for everyone… but that drive to be unique had me thinking out of the box at a young age and gave me a curiosity to learn everything under the sun. I owe a lot of my success to never saying no and always trying everything once. I think I never acknowledged how hard it was to actually execute starting your own business in real life with deadlines and client influence because I just kept moving forward, which my husband will tell you is very much my general state of being, I am always on to the next thing and doing it quickly. Sometimes that works against me because I would benefit greatly from taking a breath to re-asses my company and the direction it is moving but I do love my system that I have now and wouldn’t trade where I am at for anything. The more I pull back the veil on the freelance world the more I realize how interconnected we all are and forming those relationships with other people is the most life giving part of the job. As for my brand, I love natural and organic emotion and experience so anything I photograph, design, or create comes from that perspective.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh yes – I love a good weekend plan. In Denver, I love RiNo and South Broadway for drinks and hangs. Odell brewery is the best because their sours and gose’s are amazing. Obviously the highlands has much to explore from Sloan’s lake to one of my favorite bars – Lady Jane. Favorite restaurant is either Uchi or Super Mega Bien – can’t go wrong there. Ice Cream from High Point wins in my book. I also always love taking people to the mountains – some of my favorite days have hiking at the base of Mount Evans, climbing in Rifle or Guanella, snowboarding Copper, and of course wrapping up that entire day with a drink at Bread Bar in Silver Plume. I’m leaving out so many things but that will have to do.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Hmm I have a lot of people that inspire me daily, I could list about 30 off the top of my head, but I think I owe my entrepreneurial spirit to my family – most specifically my dad and oldest sister who showed me what it looks like to take risks, sometimes fail, and never look back at those moments with anything but positivity.

Website: www.anneliseclairephotography.com
Instagram: @anneliseblackwood
Facebook: annelise claire photography

Image Credits
All Photos: Annelise Claire Photography