Meet Dylan Chaney | Photographer

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

Hi Dylan, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always had a deep love for photography. I began photography as a hobby I started with nothing more than a inexpensive point and shoot camera and only the knowledge of a high school graphic design class, where I learned how to use photoshop. I would photograph on vacations and family events, as well as just random things around my hometown. I joined the army as an electrician right out of high school, and began traveling all over the country as well as the world and that’s when I began to really hone my craft. It didn’t matter what I was doing or where I was, I always had a camera on me. As a civilian I naturally transitioned into a job as an electrician. Using the experience the military had given me. I did full time commercial electrical work and photography in my free time for 12 years. When the pandemic hit I was laid off, I discussed the options with my wife, with finding new employment becoming more and more difficult. She said that maybe this is a sign, that an opportunity has been laid before me to turn my hobby into a career. So I took the leap. I began putting all my focus into photography, and I haven’t looked back! I began reaching out to family’s, friends and shooting anything I could to begin building a solid portfolio. Those that I would photograph would tell their friends and family and things began to slowly pick up. I would add things to my business one step at a time, a new lens, lighting, a website, business cards, etc. I’m loving the turn my life has taken and I love owning and operating my own photography business!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My photography is art, I’m not simply selling photos to clients. I believe in taking something I’ve captured and creating art with it. That’s why my business motto is, Capturing Life. Creating Art. Photography requires a creative mind and plenty of imagination. I must be able to look at something ordinary, or even extraordinary, and find a million different ways to interpret what I’m seeing and convoy those interpretations into beautiful and meaningful photos. To get to the point I’m at now took a lot of dedication. I personally feel that as a photographer you never stop learning, there’s so many outlets out there to gain knowledge from. I never went to college or was professionally taught photography, I sought outlets on my own to teach myself to become a better photographer. I would, and still do, spend countless hours practicing to better my knowledge and my craft. All the time and effort is completely worth it to me, I absolutely love photography and I love that I have reached a point in my life where I can do it for a living. I’m dedicated to what I do and I’m dedicated to being a better photographer than I was the day before. My goal is to ensure that I not only provide my clients with memorable photos but to provide a unique client experience.

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?
As a photographer I get to travel to tons of places in the DFW metroplex when doing photo sessions. Some of my favorite places to just walk around, explore, and shoot photos are the downtown areas of the cities in the metroplex. I would say there’s so many amazing restaurants in this area. I’m huge fan of Pluckers Wing Bar, so that’s a must stop, some of the other great spots that I frequent are El Matador in Denton, Reds Yard in Denton, Los Lupes in Addison, Twisted Root, and there’s tons more. DFW is so rich in diversity and culture, there’s no shortage of beauty here. Ive met so many amazing people from every reach of the metroplex and I truly love being a photographer in this area.

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?
There’s so many people, from friends, family, and even past clients, that have backed me and supported me every step of the way. Ultimately my biggest driving force, my biggest motivator has been my amazing wife Jessica! There’s plenty of times where I’ve doubted myself, where I’ve wondered “Am I making a mistake, should I just go back to my construction career”, wondered “am I as good as this photographer or that photographer”. She has and still to this day is behind me, reminding me that what I’m doing is amazing and to not give up and keep pushing forward, even when things are stressful.

Website: www.thebeardedtexanphotography.com

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