Meet Will Weeks | Photographer

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

Hi Will, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I wanted to build something that was my own. I wanted to work everyday towards achieving the goals that I set for myself rather than those set for me by an employer. I wanted to learn new thigs and spend my time doing things I enjoyed. Running my own business has always been a dream of mine. Growing up, my father was (and still is) a children’s musician. Seeing him pursue his dream every day inspired me to do the same with my life and showed me that it was actually possible. I wanted the same freedom and creativity in my life.

Though running a business was a lifelong dream of mine, there wasn’t much of a thought process behind the actual start of my business. I loved taking photos and was unhappy with my job at the time as a project manager. I got offered a part-time job as a newborn photographer and got booked for a couple of paid portrait photography gigs all at once. I realized that I could pay rent that month from that that income, I decided it was as good a time as any to make the jump and try to run my own photography business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is capturing the personalities of people in photographs. I get so excited when I look at a photo I took of someone, and can feel a connection to that person. Like that image has a magnetic pull to it making you want to know more.

What sets me apart from others is how I get to know a client before working with them. I want to know a little bit about who I am photographing and the message that they want to tell the world about themselves so we can represent that in their photos. Even for something like a professional headshot, it is important to know the intended goal of the photo and to tell a story about yourself with it.

Getting to where I am was not easy, and it still is not easy. I’ve had to learn so many new things that I never thought I would. In a way, the challenge of this lifestyle is what makes it so satisfying. I am proud of what I have built and the fact that it was not easy. I’m not done yet though, there is still much more building and growth to come!

I think the most important thing that got me to where I am today is to never stop learning. That not only applies to developing and refining my photography style, but also in the more boring aspects of running a business like marketing, project management, taxes, etc. Every day presents a new challenge and for me, it is really important to stay very organized, take on tasks one at a time, and remind myself that not everything is life or death to keep myself from being overwhelmed.

All this being said, I don’t want anyone to think that I don’t love what I do, because I absolutely do! Being an artist and running a business is hard work, but it is more rewarding than anything else I have done in my entire life and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I have so much fun with my clients on photoshoots and have met some truly amazing people along the way.

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?
Well first I’d congratulate them on picking one of the coolest places in the world to visit! We would definitely make a trip up into the mountains. We’d go visit Leadville where we would go on some hikes, and they would pick up their obligatory Melly. If they’re here in the winter months, we’ll of course get a day or two on the mountain (Epic mountains only, sorry Icon people, make better choices next time).

We’d spend some evenings in RiNo and the Highlands going to all the different breweries because as I like to tell people when they visit, you’re in craft beer country now. We would get Bagels at Rosenburg’s at Stanley Market for breakfast probably more than once that week.

We would definitely go visit Boulder for a day, hike a flatiron, and visit pearl street mall with some college friends (who need to hurry up and move to Denver).

Finally, I’d bring them to play some volleyball with my team, The Incrediballs. There are recreational leagues in just about ever park around Denver and if you’re not in one already, you need to get on that!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shoutout my sister, Molly. She has always been super supportive of me and my business. She has listened to me ranting about the stresses of running a business for hours and offered helpful advice whenever I needed it. She has and continues to be someone I can call on whenever I am in need of help.

Being self-employed, although extremely rewarding, can also be extremely terrifying, so thank you Molly for helping me maintain my sanity.

Website: www.stonesthrowproductions.com

Instagram: @stonesthrow_productions

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-weeks-647a01175/