Daily Inspiration: Meet Damon Winston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Damon Winston.

Hi Damon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I picked up my first camera when I was in middle school. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about becoming a photographer or filmmaker. I was just taking pictures of flowers.

I also used to work at a doggy daycare, and I would take pictures of the dogs there. Those were all on my iPhone. Honestly, any photographer will tell you that their first camera was really their phone.

But once you get your hands on an actual camera, something changes.

After picking up my first camera, I went from taking pictures of wildlife to taking pictures of people. Then, after getting my second camera, I started making YouTube videos of myself.

Fun fact: I actually started recording YouTube videos on my phone before I ever started recording them on a camera.

Once I became comfortable with editing video, I decided I wanted to take things further. I offered to shoot someone’s music video, but unfortunately, they set me up and stole everything I had. My computer and my camera were both brand new.

I’m not going to lie—I gave up.

I didn’t want to do it anymore. I lost the passion for creating, so I stepped away from it. I continued doing YouTube and eventually became an online influencer. That had its run, but eventually social media became oversaturated, and I felt like it was time to move on.

Life went on. I got into a career and spent the next two or three years focused on that.

During that time, my best friend started filming. We met on TikTok, and over time we built a bond through our shared love for creating content and editing.

Fast forward to last year, I started seeing him filming in clubs, shooting music videos, birthday recaps, and different types of projects. Watching him inspired me to pick my camera back up.

So I started shooting again.

I started with clubs and birthday recaps, which gave me a lot of experience and helped me get comfortable behind the camera again. I also started taking pictures again, but this time I was mainly photographing people.

That was another big moment for me because I had become comfortable enough to actually direct people. I could tell someone how to pose, help them feel comfortable in front of the camera, and take the vision they had in their head and bring it to life. Photography became more than just taking a picture for me—it became about creating an experience and helping someone see themselves the way they envisioned.

Then I got the opportunity to shoot my first actual music video, and that gave me a completely different feeling.

With club photography and event recaps, you can get creative, but you’re still capturing what’s happening in front of you. With a music video, you can actually create what’s happening in front of you.

You can put together a shot list, plan your lighting, decide how you want the camera to move, and walk onto set already knowing what you want to create. Having that structure actually gives me more room to be creative.

Eventually, the club work started to feel repetitive, and I realized it wasn’t completely aligned with where I wanted to take my business.

My bigger goal is to work with brands, especially clothing brands and other companies where I can collaborate creatively.

But the big, big goal is to direct movies.

So now I’m focused on putting myself in positions where I can develop as a director and storyteller. I’ve worked on several music videos, brand collaborations, model concepts, and different creative projects, and I’m still growing with every project I take on.

My next goal is to release my first short film.

I see that as the next step in my journey toward directing movies. I know I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go, but I’m excited about the process.

Because when I look back at where I started—taking pictures of flowers on a camera in middle school, making YouTube videos on my phone, losing everything and giving up, and eventually finding my way back to creating—I realize I’ve been telling stories in some form for a long time.

Now I just want to tell bigger ones.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not. I have experienced losing jobs, being robbed, letting relationships control my creativity, losing friends and loved ones along the way, losing the passion I had for it, losing out on money, doing free work for people who didn’t deserve it, and making mistakes and learning from them.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a videographer and photographer based in the DMV area. I started with shooting clubs and events. Now I shoot for clothing brands, artist, businesses, and whatever I decided to come up with creative concepts wise. I am known for my videos I just started taking photos. So, I’m not necessarily known for the photos yet but I have heard from other photographers that have been in the game longer than me that told me I am far ahead of people that have been in the game for years. I am the most proud of myself and how far I have came confidence wise and stepping out of my shell because I am a big introvert a lot of the time. What sets me apart from others is my storytelling and VFX.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Not all money is good money. Hang around and learn from people that are doing what you have passion for.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonnknee/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/kneeflixx/?hl=en