Meet Corey Wilkes | Owner/Photographer of Dear Makenzie Photography,LLC

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

Hi Corey, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking risks can very well be risky, but if you never try or go for what you want out of life ,you will never know. Life is short, may as well be doing something you love.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Risks are what made me the photographer I am today. Going back to the summer of 2019 , I hired a photographer in Mississippi where I originally grew up (friend/mentor) by the name of Kasey Smothers. My daughter Makenzie was 8 months old at the time so naturally I would want photos taken of her. The day of the session it was very hot and humid , the session took place in Memphis,Tennessee. I will never forget that day , in a sunflower session there were at least 20 other photographers photographing families.The sunflower garden was amazing and I was just perplexed by the processes and steps from Kasey. She was so engaged with my daughter and I. I loved that feeling of Kasey showing me the art she created by just snapping images. I know she felt the same way about capturing those special memories for me. At that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life, and that was to become a photographer. I had never in my life operated a camera in my life. I had no idea about white balance,iso,aperture or anything for that matter. This is when I took a risk, a risk I ended up being very grateful for.Many people don’t know that I am an artist and was a cable technician for nearly 6 years prior to me taking on photography full – time in early 2021. The love and passion I have of just photographing my daughter on my cell phone , instantly inspired me to pick just the right field of work n. The name of my small business is Dear Makenzie Photography. At this point in my life, things were not so great. I felt beat down , nothing was going right, just overall thought I would just want to give up on everything. There was a point and time when I thought “I was a guy with just a camera”. One day , I met a guy in Denver by the name of Bill Murf who helped inspire me to be greater and make this a career and not just another job. I followed him on many shoots and he has taught me so much. Honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am today without his guidance. Eventually I would go on to meet other local creatives in the Denver community , one being Shelby Hoving , a fantastic portrait photographer. She taught me so much about being impactful and having more meaning behind my work.I love capturing those moments that people will never forget. I love making people feel confident about themselves after a session. The feeling when you snap that image of a client, and they come preview it with the biggest smile ever makes it all worthwhile. My specialty is creating lasting memories for clients.

What sets me apart from others is my overall customer experience. I make sure while photographing people , thing don’t become awkward. I laugh , joke here and there, and let them listen to their favorite tunes during the session. It makes everything so much easier for myself but most importantly my clients. I overcome challenges in life by always trying to improve better and better each day, watching tutorials and experimenting.

Where I am today professionally was not an easy road but YouTube tutorials are your best friend. Listening is the best method of learning anything in life and is open to feedback. I listened to fellow mentors Bill Murf, Shelby Hoving, Kasey Smothers. I have worked with so many models throughout my time in Denver , which the list is so long it wouldn’t fit in the article.

I owe a special thank you all for your continued support throughout my journey, most importantly my wife Lacey.

I specialize in portrait, boudoir , and a lot of creative work with color gels and light paint photography. Love black and white photography.

I want the world to know that I am here to stay for generations and generations through my work even when the good lord decides it is my time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would have to say , Golden,Colorado. It’s so beautiful there and remote depending on where you are. It’s so peaceful yet not far from the fast pace lifestyle of Denver.

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?
First , I would like to honor God. Without the man upstairs , none of this will be possible.

Secondly , I would love to thank my beautiful wife Lacey for always keeping me grounded in the good times and bad. Thank you for always supporting me and my dreams.

My mother and dad raised me to become the man I am today, well -rounded and determined. I love you all.

Influencer’s in my life are the following :

Bill Murf
Shelby Hoving
Kasey Smothers

Thank you all !

Website: https://dearmakenziephotographyllc.passgallery.com/professional?#%7Cclient%7Cclientgalleries

Instagram: Instagram.com/dear.makenzie.photography

Image Credits
Photos taken by Dear Makenzie Photography Models in order. Misha My wife Monica Amber Levent Jahalia