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Meet Danielle Lentz of Danielle Lentz Photography

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Lentz.

Danielle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
To be honest, I never dreamed of becoming a photographer or starting my own business when I grew up.

Photography has been a passion of mine since I was a little girl, but I was raised in a home where we were encouraged to be doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc., so I actually grew up wanting to become a doctor or a veterinarian. I fully intended to go to med school and even went so far as declaring a pre-med major in college. As much as my heart wanted to pursue Photography and Art, I followed the traditional path of going to college and getting a Corporate job.

I graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications and shortly after, I joined the wonderful world of Corporate America where I held various roles in Product Development and Marketing organizations. During this time, I was career focused, lived in the city, and was completely content with my husband and 2 dogs. I always knew that I wanted to do something more fulfilling, but I didn’t know exactly where that fulfillment was going to come from. It wasn’t until my son was born, that I realized that my purpose and fulfillment came from serving my family.

At that moment, I knew that any job that would take me away from this little man would have to be more flexible and meaningful for me and photography turned out to be the answer to a long-awaited prayer. So shortly after my son was born in 2012, I resigned from my corporate job, started my own business, and here we are! It’s been quite the journey, but I am so grateful for where it has taken me and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

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?
The decision to leave my corporate job was easy but starting my own business while trying balance being a new mother, certainly came with a lot of challenges. I knew what steps I needed to take to start my business, but my biggest obstacle was (and still continues to be) self-doubt. I was constantly second guessing myself and questioning whether or not I was good enough. I was always afraid of disappointing someone or myself and was always afraid to put my work out there. I started my business in a time where DSLR cameras became more accessible to consumers and camera phones were capable of so much more than point and shoot cameras.

All of a sudden, it felt like everyone was a photographer (or becoming one) and I felt like the ocean was starting to turn red. I didn’t want to be like everyone else, I didn’t want to shoot like everyone else, but I also didn’t have the client base or confidence to do my own thing. Just like anyone who starts something new, I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be and I made a lot of rookie mistakes. I took on projects that weren’t a good fit, I didn’t know how to set boundaries, I didn’t know how to value my time and most of all, I didn’t know how to say “no”. This created the second largest obstacle for myself, which was work/life balance.

Shortly after I started my business, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. It was really tough to keep up with a toddler, manage the morning sickness and find time to shoot, edit and run the business. My business hours were generally 10pm-2am as work really couldn’t start until the kid(s) went to bed. I literally worked at that pace for my first few years and it was brutal. While that season was a bit of a blur, I still struggle with balancing family and business to this very day. The lines are blurred when you work from home, but I am much more aware of these things and I’m constantly refining my process and learning to set boundaries.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Danielle Lentz Photography – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Danielle Lentz Photography is really a boutique photography company that is probably best known for capturing intimate gatherings and genuine connection. From weddings, elopements, and anniversaries to bellies, babies and families. I currently live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and serve the greater Seattle and Phoenix areas.

I think what sets me apart is that I work with intention and I strive to create a custom and very personal experience for every single client. I am most proud of my customer experience and all of the lasting relationships that I have built with my clients. I don’t want to be the photographer that will only shoot your wedding because that is all that I want to shoot or am capable of doing.

I genuinely want to be there for the engagement, the wedding, the first baby and family photos that follow. I want to build lasting relationships with my clients because relationships are the fabric of this business and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Now that my kids are getting a little more independent, I’m able to focus more energy on serving my clients, growing my client base, and expanding to other markets. I don’t have any big plans on the horizon this year, but I would eventually love to be able to offer mentoring services to other artists and photographers.

I love teaching and coaching others and hope to incorporate that into my business in the near future. It would be incredibly fulfilling to somehow leverage my experience to help others find their creative voice and pursue their passion.

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Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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