Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael (Jordan) Lindsey.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always had a passion for all things artistic. From a young age, I steered towards music and little illustrations. I started playing piano when I was around 7, then took up reed instruments and percussion. Through my music-making years, I dabbled in many forms of creativity ranging from realism drawings and paintings to clay sculpting. It wasn’t until college when I started creating digital art and taking photos.
My first ever photography class was a dark room editing class. I had no idea what I was doing at first, but luckily I’m a fast learner so I got the hang of it quick. Graphic design was my focus at the University of Southern Indiana (USI), but then I moved north and started taking classes at the Art Institute of Indianapolis. I finished there with a bachelor’s in computer science. That’s when I really started taking on work as a designer.
Fresh out of college, I started ArtDesignDrive and immediately got work from people I had networked with through different colleges and some references through my art program at AI. I created logos, flyers, websites, videos, wall murals, and took photos of various automotive events in Indianapolis which led me into automotive photography. I was even brought on to hand paint all the signage in Sanford Brown Medical College. I remember Cars & Coffee in Indy and how it was pretty much a vessel for me to dive headfirst into the automotive world.
I had always been a car enthusiast, but photography and videography really pushed me off the deep end of the automotive lifestyle. I’ve mostly shot cars for personal clients, but also have commercial work through automotive parts companies and magazines. Now, I focus on high-end photography and videography, as well as branding and design, for enthusiasts in the automotive community here in the valley and west coast.
Has it been a smooth road?
It’s not that it hasn’t been smooth because, at times, I’ve felt like I’m being chauffeured in a Rolls Royce with air suspension sipping on Champagne. Though other times, I feel like I’m trying to pedal a unicycle, with a wheel in the shape of a triangle, on a tightrope, backwards. Nevertheless, I’ve somehow managed to come out if not on top at least still in good shape.
Automotive photography can get a bad rep because most of the time unless you’re shooting commercially with permits and whatnot, you have to resort to guerrilla-style shooting. This means if you really want to shoot in a location you know you’re going to get kicked out of, you need to do it fast. Countless times, I’ve had security, homeowners, neighbors, and little old ladies run me out of shoot locations. Surprisingly, police are usually okay with it. Not that we’re revving or causing a scene, but mostly because I specialize in a type of photo called a rolling shot. Basically, you hang out of a car door/window and take pictures of another car in motion making the background appear blurry and the car in focus. If done correctly, it can make for some pretty dramatic effects.
Another struggle nowadays is the saturation of photographers. I know there is a lot of competition which is totally great because it helps me to grow and continue to challenge myself. However, it sometimes becomes difficult to shine through all the noise you see every day on social media. There are a lot of photo takers you just have to search for a true photographer. Being in a new city and having to completely re-network has also been a bit of a struggle.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with ArtDesignDrive – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
ArtDesignDrive is basically a full stop creative shop. I create logos/branding, stationary such as business cards, flyers and touchpoints, websites, all types of murals and wall art, t-shirts, stickers/vinyls, and of course, photography and videography services.
My specialties in design are logo creation and t-shirt design. My specialty in fine art is a large format wall art. The photography and videography specialties are in automotive, however, portrait photography/videography is becoming a huge interest. Automotive photography is mostly what I’m known for, although my greatest achievement is in fine arts. I created a large indoor mural roughly 16 feet wide by 7 feet tall in the playroom for a daycare called Hummingbird in southern Indiana that I also designed a logo for. It ended up being on the news and had an article written about the whole renovation of the daycare that my father contracted.
I guess the one thing that sets me apart from others in my network is I can consistently and rapidly create art on vastly different platforms and mediums with extreme attention to detail. Where many artists focus and excel in a single art form I focus and excel in multiple.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The massive potential network base is definitely one of the main reasons I made the move.
The saturation of “iPhoneographers” is pretty comical, to say the least.
Pricing:
- Photography booking is just $50 for two hours.
- Logo work is $90 starting out.
- Videography booking is just $100
- Many other prices are rated hourly such as wall murals and websites.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.artdesigndrive.com/blog
- Phone: 8126865527
- Email: mjl.artdesigndrive@gmail.com
- Instagram: ArtDesignDrive
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArtDesignDrive
- Twitter: J__Speed
- Other: https://artdesigndrive.bigcartel.com
Image Credit:
ArtDesignDrive
Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
