We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Denise McMahon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Denise, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I get it from my incredible parents. 🙂 They immigrated here to America after the Vietnam War. After growing up in Vietnam during the war, fighting to make their way here after the war, and crossing the country to marry and build a life here on the east coast, my parents have been through so much. Not only to get their citizenship but also to provide a good childhood and life for me and my three other siblings. It was because of their example to me and my wish to not add to their burdens that I successfully paid for my college degree myself. I studied hard and worked all throughout high school and college. I applied for scholarships and student aid. I have never not worked or made money in some way and that resilience lives on in me now, in running my businesses and doing the hard work to turn my businesses into a reliable source of income for my family.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Hello friends! I am Denise. In my previous life, I operated as a ‘jack of all trades’ IT consultant, able to pick up and wear as many kinds of hats as was required. And in my life now, it seems to be just the same, the hats are just different.
I am a creative. I’m a lifestyle photographer for life and brands alike as well as a watercolor and alcohol ink artist. I have a knack for finding beauty in the in-between moments and creating colorful imagery both in color and in emotions, both in my photography and in my artwork. I love cultivating and capturing the connections. My primary photography niches are maternity, newborn, family and brands. For art, I am equal parts intuitive and illustrative. With my alcohol ink art, I work with my intuition, letting that drive the colors I pick and what I feel compelled to create. With my watercolor art, I find myself drawn towards sketching and illustrating my pieces, mostly flowers, animals, and the occasional human figure. I’m currently brainstorming and testing out ideas for this year’s set of handmade alcohol ink ornaments and am concurrently working on a small watercolor collection of ballerinas.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three things that are super important to me in my [neverending] journey as a photographer/artist/business owner: the ability to actively listen, the ability to practice and learn without ego, the ability to be flexible.
For those who are still early on in their journey, trust your gut and your intuition. Don’t be afraid to change course if your gut tells you it’s necessary for growth. You can only get out what you put in so if you put your all into listening, practicing and changing as needed, you’ll get that back tenfold and more. Leave your ego at the door.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client…someone who clicks with ME! And of course loves my work. They trust me to creatively deliver images and artwork that fit their personalities. They are flexible and understanding with great open communication. They love to laugh throughout the good times and are willing to smile through the bad eggs. Their sense of joy and love for their family and loved ones can be easily felt for miles on end. They may have had infertility troubles in the past and can understand the toll it takes mentally and physically. They care about filling their walls and their tables with tangible prints, wall art and heirloom albums to bring joy into their every day life and to pass on for future generations. They appreciate the work, time, skills, and money that goes into creating art of all kinds.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.denisevan.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/denisevanphotography
- Facebook: facebook.com/denisevanphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisevan
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/denise-van-photography-south-riding
Image Credits
DVP Headshot: Laura Metzler Photography
