Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Shippey.
Daniel Shippey is a Tennessee and Georgia-based photographer available for world-wide travel. Daniel has over 15 years of experience and has owned a studio in Tifton, GA since 2009. Daniel splits residency between Nashville, TN and Tifton, GA.
Daniel has photographed for Grammy, Billboard Music Award, American Music Award, and Juno Award winners and nominees. In addition to working with the music industry, Daniel has collaborated with global and regional brands and publications. Daniel travels the U.S. and Canada with bands as a touring photographer several times a year. He has traveled coast-to-coast numerous times for personal projects and explored seventeen countries.
Most recently, Daniel spent several weeks in Southeast Asia accompanying an old friend on motorcycle adventures through mountainous terrain connecting with people in remote villages to document their daily lifestyles.
MUSIC:
X Ambassadors / AWOLNATION / Third Eye Blind / Mayday Parade / Sean McConnell / Flora Cash / Silverstein / Josh Phillips / Stages and Stereos / Our Last Night / Jobe Fortner / Royce Lovett / Stephen Carey / Ricky Young / Go Radio / We The Kings / Austin French / Atlas Road Crew / Pepper / Less Than Jake / Kash’d Out / Brightside / Haken / Midnight Matinee / The Electric Sons / Julia Brennan / Ben Danaher / Them Dirty Roses / Flying Buffaloes / A Wilhelm Scream / Derrick Dove
Red Bull Records / Hopeless Records / Fearless Records / LAW Records / ZK Productions / Earthsound Recording / SJC / Audix
EDITORIAL:
THOM Magazine / South Magazine / Entertainment Weekly / Rovers Magazine / Alternative Press / Billboard / Rolling Stone / Fuse / New Noise Magazine / Highlight Magazine / Good Grit Magazine / Clutch Magazine
BRANDS:
Bayer / BASF / Red Bull / Google / HCA / Adama / Green Giant / Thomasville Center for the Arts / United Apparel Liquidators / Sharp Communications / Sturdy Brothers / Grassroots Coffee / Barberitos / Stafford Development / Century 21 / Tift Regional Medical Center / North Florida Regional Medical Center
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been a constant series of ups and downs. Owning a creative business as an entrepreneur is very fulfilling because you are personally making everything happen. So, when a project goes well it’s very satisfying. The main struggle with doing professional photography at this level is the fact that I’m only one person. Often times I wish I could accomplish more but it requires a team. And that is something that’s often hard to come by and delegate.
I have had faithful partnership with several individuals over the years. Whether it’s been family, close friends or kind strangers. Every bit of help along the way is much appreciated.
Sometimes it’s good to just sit down with someone over a coffee to express and vision-cast. As a creative entrepreneur it’s so easy to feel like you’ve existing in a vacuum. That’s what sharing feelings, expressing thoughts and ideas, and receiving quality feedback is so crucial.
Having an interested and faithful audience is key as well. Without return clients I couldn’t continue with this career. One-off projects are always great, but the real sustainability comes from clients I have had for years.
In spite of the high highs and the low lows, I wouldn’t trade this life for another one any day.
Daniel Shippey Photography – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I specialize in creative portraiture. My main area of passion is portrait work for bands, solo artists, models, and actors. I love the personality and passion these people bring to the table when we are taking photos. These shoots are more expressive and personally connective for me.
Working with artists and models is usually some of the most creative work I do. It allows rooms for trying new techniques with the photos. It becomes tiresome doing cookie-cutter type work for other clients (even though I appreciate them as well). So, whenever I have a band or a model on the line I really just to brainstorm some ways to capture some intriguing and inspiring photos.
I also love the overall scope of the projects associated with these sort of shoots. For instance, if I do a photoshoot for a band it’s very fulfilling to me to see how the imagery helps push the band’s career forward. Seeing my photos being used for press, social media, merch, websites, and promotion for an artist is exciting. It also lets my work have a large audience. Even though the people seeing the photo are really more interested in the band I still know that I played a small part in helping their music be heard by more people.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is ultimately defined in the mind and in the heart. It leads back to core values and personal expectations. For me, success is doing something that I love for a career. I realized years ago that it would likely never make me rich— And that’s okay! The old adage goes something like this, “Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
However, success is also measured by the income I make in order to live the lifestyle I want to live. Creatives sell themselves short so much in their careers. Unfortunately, this often leads to the downfall of their careers and can be damaging to the creative market at large as well. I have to hold myself to a standard. My work is worth being for and I have to do my best to help my clients understand that.
In order to maintain my lifestyle it simply requires me to earn a certain amount annually. This amount fluctuates year-to-year as an entrepreneur but I’ve managed to be stable and form adequate budgets for the life I live. Success is measured by the ability to live the life one desires to live. If they can financially, emotionally and creatively reach that point then they are successful. The sky really is the limit when you work for yourself.
Pricing:
- The budget for Band and Artists promotional photo shoots needs to be discussed per the project. I’ve done artist promotional shoots from $250 to $4,000. It all depends on the scope of the project and the usage of the imagery.
- Portraits and Headshots generally start at $250 and can rise to $1,250 depending on the client’s needs.
- Commercial work (Billboards, Website Content, Advertising) usually starts at $200-$350 per hour.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.danielshippey.com
- Email: daniel@danielshippey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielshippey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielShippeyPhotography/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/daniel_shippey
Image Credit:
Personal photo of myself was taken by Jason Lancaster. All other photos were taken by me, “Daniel Shippey”.
Suggest a story: VoyageATL 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.
