Today we’d like to introduce you to Mindy St. Dennis.
Hi Mindy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
It all started with a band trip and fire hydrants. I was given a camera by my grandparents for my high school band trip out east. Having grown up on a farm I was fascinated by the different colored fire hydrants and photographed as many as I could. I also captured the cherry blossoms and numerous monuments we visited. I used up 15 rolls of film and was hooked on what I could capture.
In college, I majored in Mass Communications and minored in art with an emphasis on photography. I wanted to be a photojournalist or at least photograph the sporting events I covered. While I didn’t get a full-time job as a photojournalist, I was able to photograph a few sporting events I covered that made the front page. After college, I worked in administration and was introduced to a local photographer who hooked me up with a photography company that specialized in team and individual sports photography.
I have continued to do sports photography including action, along with expanding to newborns, families, high school seniors, and events. I’ve even secured my first school. That’s right, I photographed and produced a whole school of 350 students and 30 staff. So much fun. After photographing nearly everything under the sun, including thousands of kids with Santa, I have decided to focus more on schools, sports, and events. I still photograph lots of families too.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Even though I started my business in 2006, 2020 was my first year with photography as my primary income, when Covid hit it was a struggle to get business. At the time one-third of my business was photographing the newborns at the local hospital and that was shut down for five months.
One-third of my business was events and sports. I only photographed two events the rest of the year-one we could do outside, maintaining social distancing. The other was Santa in my studio, using all the proper precautions. I also had a kiddo that wasn’t in school that I had to help with homework and entertain. But the social distancing allowed me to develop my wood prints, which are a popular item I sell.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m known for newborns and children, although recently I’ve moved on to more schools, sports, and events. The schools, sports, and events side of my business is known as Creative Elite Studios.
This year, 2023, is the first year I have all the events that I had prior to Covid. Several events took several years before they would allow me back to photograph them. I’m known for my energy and the fact that I don’t offer just digitals. Besides prints, I offer books, wall art, and gift items.
Many people know that I make my own wood prints and frames and that I also offer many other craft items using wood. The plan is to combine the crafting with Little Saints Photography and become Little Saints Photo\Craft or something like that.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
With phone cameras and digital cameras improving all the time, it is harder to prove to people to hire a professional photographer. With my family, I focus on the experience they can have with me that they may not get with their neighbor with a “fancy” camera, like bunny or glitter sessions.
I emphasize the fact I can retouch facial blemishes, get rid of bruises or runny noses, and do face swaps to get open eyes or smiles. With sports, I focus on the speed of the sport that the average person may not be able to capture in low light while allowing parents to just watch the game. With sports, I can also offer memory mates, custom-bordered magnets, and blankets.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.littlesaintsphoto.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlesaintsphoto
Image Credits
Luckfield Photography
