Meet Peter Loyd-Vuolo

We recently connected with Peter Loyd-Vuolo and have shared our conversation below.

Peter , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome has been a fantastic motivator and one of the most challenging aspects of being a photographer and in a creative field. Honestly I can’t say that I’ve completely overcome it. However, I have learned to recognize it and do my best not to let it skew my perceptions.

I found my way into photography by going back to school for “Commercial Photography” in my early 30s. Prior to that I had already had two other careers but neither of those felt inspiring or rewarding. At first, going to college in my 30s, being surrounded by young adults in their early 20s was intimidating. I felt like I was getting a late start to photography and wasn’t going to have the time that they would have, to develop my skills. At the same time I was meeting photographers my age who had been working in the field for years. This also made me feel like I was getting a late start to things in life.

I was fortunate enough to really take to interiors and architectural photography. I began working with interior designers, home builders, and landscape architects, to photograph the spaces they designed and built. My business and reputation grew pretty quick and before I knew it I was winning awards and getting published. Even before I graduated from my program. I was super grateful for these opportunities but at the same time I didn’t feel like I deserved them. I felt like I was just getting lucky.

Although I was being acknowledged for having done good work, I wasn’t feeling confident in myself or my photography yet. As my business grew I had a hard time seeing the value in my work. This led me to undervalue both my time and the photos I was delivering to clients. It never affected the quality of my work, but it did start to affect me financially. As I entered into my second year of business I thankfully began to feel more confident in myself and my photography. This helped me to start pricing my work fairly and take on more challenging work.

I think that what helped me most with managing feeling like an imposter in my profession was understanding the value in experience that I brought to my clients. It has always been a priority for me to give my clients a wonderful experience when it comes to photography. Our photoshoots are a time to celebrate their hard work, creativity, and talent. This is why my clients enjoy working with me even when there are more talented or experienced photographers in Denver.

I think that a lot of people in creative industries deal with imposter syndrome. My best advice to them is to- really acknowledge what it is that people/clients value in working with you, and not just what you produce.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am an interiors and architectural photographer. I have the privilege of working with interior designers, home builders, and landscape architects to photograph the spaces that they design and build. They use the photos to promote their work as well as to submit their work for magazines and awards. I find it to be the most inspiring and rewarding work I have done in my career.

I started out photographing residential properties for real estate listings. This was a great way to get some experience and photograph lots of different homes. However, when photographing real estate listings, you generally move pretty quickly, not spending a ton of time in each room. Pretty quickly I realized that I wanted to be photographing these spaces in a more creative way. I wanted to celebrate and document the talent and creativity of the designers and builders of the spaces. I found that instead of working with real estate agents and firms, if I worked with the interior designers and home builders, I could accomplish this.

I was born and raised in Littleton and after living all around the country, there is nowhere else I’d rather be than Colorado. I love being able to capture and share the beauty of the front range through my photography. However, what I enjoy most is working with talented and creative people who are just as passionate about what they do as I am!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think that three of the most important things early on in my journey were… a willingness to put myself out there, not being afraid to make mistakes, and saying “yes” to as many opportunities as I could. Through these three things I was able to learn, develop my skills, and create impactful relationships.

For folks, especially creatives, early on in their journey, I definitely recommended doing the same. It is important to be able to practice your craft as much as possible in the beginning. It is also important to make mistakes and most people and clients won’t hold it against you. By saying “yes” to as many opportunities as you can, you will get the practice you need!

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

Having a mentor has been one of the most valuable and helpful things to my photography career. Compared to portrait, landscape, or event photography, there are not many interiors and architectural photographers in Denver. Early on in my journey I was fortunate enough to meet one who was extremely talented and who was willing to take me under their wing. I began “assisting” for this photographer on their commercial and residential photoshoots and still do to this day.

A photography assistant in the world of interiors and architectural photography, typically is there to help set up equipment, hold different lighting tools, engage with the client, and help where needed. Through “assisting” for this photographer I was able to see how they styled, lit, and photographed all sorts of different spaces. I got to see how they interacted with clients and how they ran the administrative side of their photography business.

I was able to apply the things I learned while “assisting” for them to my own business and photography. Had I not been given the opportunity to work with them, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. So for anyone starting out or wanting to grow in a creative field, I definitely recommend finding a mentor or someone who is willing to share their knowledge with you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://PLVphoto.com
• Instagram: @peteloydvuolo