Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Mathews.
Hi Danny, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my artistic journey on a bit of a different path than photography. In high school I was in bands and we would play at coffee shops and outside of businesses. Playing coffee houses turned into playing local bars in college. One of my bands, The Stoop Brothers, would mainly play on random stoops after bar close to see if we could make a buck off of patrons leaving the bar in a good mood. We played open mics and eventually landed a “house band” slot for a year with a bar in town. I am grateful for all those late nights and A-bars because I met some amazing people. I did not know that this would change the trajectory of my life.
The next big moment for me in the arts started my junior year of college. Some friends of mine wanted me to help them create a community arts organization. I was studying business at the the at Winona State University and they had a need for a business plan. One thing led to another and we had our own organization. We were recording local artists, setting up gigs, we even started a block party. Its amazing what can get accomplished when you have enough minds on the same cause. Around this time what when photography really started to interest me. We needed more than one person that could shoot different gigs we were helping with, we only had one photographer. I took a camera home, very worried I would break it, and tried too start teaching myself. I started reading and learning through doing. Here is where I need to thank my cat Roo. This guy was my test model as I learned more and more things, exposure, ISO, flash (poor thing). Later that year I got my first camera.
A few years into that I decided to go my own way. I had plans for starting a non-profit. My close friend Andy Bauer and I were making a podcast that promoted local artists and had plans to try and help find and write grants. We got close to the first round of official funding, then the pandemic hit. Everything ground to a halt and the project lost steam. I had been working on learning photography this whole time. I would volunteer photos for buddies playing gigs and festivals. This is where my love for photography really took off.
Eventually, I started branching out and a hobby turned into a side-gig. Through some great luck, I was renting a little one bedroom unit on East End. That’s where I met The Bailey’s, they were my upstairs neighbors. Dre and Tara were starting a drumline for kids in the Winona area. It was made to be an outlet and an opportunity for kids to grow and learn. They ended up naming it Winona Little Warriors Drumline. I admired what the Baileys were trying to do so I got involved. I was their photographer for the entire time their program was around. It just ended in 2025. They started with a few kids hitting buckets in the backyard, to the large organization it ended as with proper funding from the community and with many lives changed for the better.
Community is number one for me. My photography is how I give back to my community. More often than not, professional photography is out of reach for small organizations. In a digital world, having that is a huge advantage, I feel a responsibly to use my talent for a greater good.
From about 2021 to present, I have really kept my nose to the grindstone and as a result I launched DM Photography. As soon as I took the leap, my photography took off. I shoot weddings, couples, headshots, events, you name it. After roughly ten years, I have gone from worried about hitting the wrong button, to a lifelong passion of photography and community work am proud of. All those years of connecting and working with people in the community has even led to today with my first interview.
You never know where photography will take you. Last summer I heard there was a dance downtown. The River City Ballroom Dancers / Breitlow Ballroom were hosting Swing in the Street. My wonderfully supportive wife told me to bring my camera. I shot the dance and sent the photos over to their page. Now I shoot their dances regularly, something I never could have guessed I would be doing, and I have met many fantastic people as a result. I still have two left feet though.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the toughest aspects of photography is finding your own style and what you want to portray in your photography. That all comes with time, you don’t realize it, but you are slowly training your eyes and hands to capture a moment. If you’re lucky that emotion, color, or expression speaks to other people too. Its easy to follow trends, it is hard to carve your own path in what is beautiful to you and to stick with it. That is how you can stand out. I have also been blessed with having amazing people in my life that are always cheering for me. My folks, my wife, and so many friends and community members. It would have been so much harder without all of their support.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most proud of my work with the community. I find the most joy in helping others who have put their heart and soul into making the community a better place. For me is it a simple thing I can do to amplify their hard work. We need more people who are working for the betterment of the community, we also need more people helping those laying the groundwork for community events.
Apart from event photography, I have started offering a limited number of weddings this year. I had the opportunity to work with The Mill on Rush Creek and that opened the doors for me to pursue wedding photography. I have made amazing connections through past work and that is where a lot of my current work comes from. People recognize my work from events and often inquire about family shoots or graduations. It is not all about paid gigs though, I love starting creative projects for both photography and videography. For my day job, I am a videographer and editor for the Bob and Brad YouTube channel. So as I’ve grown in that aspect, I’ve been able to offer videography services along side photography. I am always doing something with a camera and I love it.
How do you define success?
I measure success by if I feel I made a positive impact with someone. Getting a great shot of a couple dancing, learning they never had the means to have photos taken together. Helping a group reach more people, being chosen to be the person in charge of capturing a special moment and nailing the shot. It all comes down to seeing people’s faces light up, and knowing you had the awesome impact and you get to continue to do that.
Pricing:
- My pricing is on a per-project basis. I often discount or volunteer my services if I feel that organization is really doing something great for the community,
- For individuals and families I try to keep my prices low. I find the current rates for photographers and professional photography has outpaced what most can afford. I like to help people get high quality photography without a huge financial burden on them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dannymathewsphotography.myportfolio.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18AgWoNFjp/
