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Meet Aaron Wells

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Wells.

Aaron, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My first job at the age of 16 was working for a local newspaper in rural Washington state. At that time, thirty years ago, we still pasted display ads by hand before publication. I fondly recall the pica pool, a ruler used to measure points and picas, as well as the massive rolls of newsprint in the production area. In addition to display advertising, I used a Mac SE to create charts and graphs for various stories, teaching reporters how to do so along the way.

Skipping forward to the mid-90’s — the middle years being a blur of local and college papers, along with a production assistant gig in Los Angeles — I found myself working for the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce as the Communications & Technology Manager. Forgetting the fancy title, the role was primarily a jack of all trades, providing direct support to the Executive Director and Board of Directors. We published the city map, regularly provided written copy to the local newspaper to promote local businesses, and published both weekly and monthly newsletters for local businesses.

During this period is when we developed our weekly “Fax at a Glance,” which utilized ACT! and a PC-based fax program. At the time it was exciting, innovative technology which allowed us to set the distribution up on Friday and let the faxes run throughout the weekend, assuring that each business would have it first thing Monday morning. We’ve come such a long way since then!

A few years later, I moved back to Washington state, settling in the Seattle area, and worked a variety of gigs, including surveillance photography for local private investigators, writing detailed resumes for executive-level IT professionals, and the occasional freelance news article. I never really lost my early taste for news.

Somewhere along the way, I fell into real estate photography. A friend connected me with a corporate housing company in need of a real estate photographer. Although I’d never photographed real estate, I read some brief tutorials online and decided it was something I could do. Along the way, I fell absolutely in love with this niche! Not only did the various properties challenge my processing skills — demanding absolute perfection in white balance, for example — but I was able to see first-hand some truly amazing features.

One property, in particular, was a newly developed, 34-story luxury condo building along the Seattle waterfront. Not only was the interior amazing, with panoramic views of the entire city, but the concierge took me to the rooftop where I was able to shoot a 55-image HDR panorama. The processing of that image was so resourced intensive. I had to run to the store for more RAM.

As my photography business grew, I found myself less interested in writing resumes, a job I’d never truly enjoyed, other than the income. Seeking to expand my exposure, I found myself chasing breaking news stories overnight throughout the Seattle area. A number of my photographs and stories were picked up by local media outlets. Although not a huge source of income, it was incredibly fun.

During that time, my wife and I had split our time between Seattle and Phoenix. In 2018 I finally leaped and moved to Arizona full-time. Fortunately, one of my corporate real estate clients had work in this area also, and I was able to pick up a few gigs without too much difficulty.

Today I’m no longer chasing news or writing resumes. My focus is primarily on real estate photography, with a dash of portrait and landscape photography mixed in. Oh, I almost forgot! I also have fifteen of the most amazing photos from Phoenix Zoo licensed for print sales via my website, with a print-on-demand coffee table book coming out soon. That’s one of the current projects I’m most excited by. And, as part of the licensing agreement, 20% of gross sales goes back to support the fantastic work by the folks at Phoenix Zoo. To sum it all up, I suppose you could say that I started in the news business, spent thirty years wandering down road of life, and gaining a wealth of experience from the many twists and turns along the way. I’ve finally landed in a place where I genuinely love both work and life.

My professional portfolio is here: https://www.aaronwellsphotography.com/Meet-Aaron-Wells

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’m not sure any road in life is ever smooth. And that’s a good thing. How would we learn valuable life lessons without the bumps and crashes? I’d say my greatest obstacle or challenge has been mental health. Although not officially diagnosed until 2001 or so, I’ve struggled with what’s known as dual depression, a combination of persistent depressive disorder and major depressive disorder, for most of my life. Surprisingly I was also diagnosed with ADHD just last year.

It’s both odd and comforting to learn about these diagnoses and reflect on my life. From early childhood forward, I can see where these were greatly hindering my life and my career. There have certainly been times when I’ve struggled to get out of bed, to face a day filled with people, and to organize the massive amount of projects and deadlines. At times I succeeded in managing it all. At other times I failed miserably.

Fortunately, I learned how to adapt to these challenges, even without knowing there was a word for the challenges I faced. I didn’t even know these challenges weren’t shared by everyone.

Although I’m grateful for the diagnoses and medications which make day-to-day living much easier, I’m even more grateful for the challenges which forced me to adapt, to learn how to organize and manage workflow and life in general, to learn how to meet deadlines, or to communicate clearly with clients when a bad day required moving a deadline.

Tell us more about the business.
Aaron Wells Photography began when I found myself shooting real estate for a living, turning what was a hobby into a career. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to earn the trust of corporate housing clients, local real estate agents, and news directors. I’ve even had a contract with the City of Burien to photograph civic events and local parks and managed to land one of my photographs on the cover of their quarterly Parks & Recreation guide. These days I focus primarily on real estate photography, with a dash of portrait and event photography mixed in.

I’d say that what sets me apart is quality. With real estate photography I’ve moved away from high density resolution (HDR) and more toward exposure blending. I’ve discovered that exposure blending provides for bright interiors with clear, equally bright exterior views, all without sacrificing the clarity that’s somewhat lost in HDR processing.

Beyond these technical aspects, my experience working with the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce taught me how to engage with professionals on all levels, including state and federal legislators, corporate executives, and small business owners. Not only do I love providing high-quality photographs, but I understand the needs of real estate professionals to have a hassle-free experience from start to finish. To this extent, I provide online scheduling and billing, the ability to let myself in and photograph the property unattended, and online, cloud-based delivery of processed images.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Both good luck and bad luck have been extremely vital! Bad luck offers the opportunity to develop patience, character, and professionalism, as well as the ability to learn from mistakes and develop new skills, abilities, and processes. That said, without good luck, I’d be nowhere today. I’ve been so fortunate to have supportive family and friends who’ve brought opportunities I would never have found on my own. As an example, my first real estate gig was for a corporate housing company managed by the friend of a friend. Without that connection, I’m not sure I’d have ever discovered real estate photography. I’m not even sure my hobby would have transformed into a career.

Pricing:

  • $129 – Portrait & Family Photography
  • $250 – Real Estate Photography
  • 25% Discount for first-time real estate clients

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Aaron Wells

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