Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Lynch.
Hi Anna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My interest in photography started in middle school when I was gifted one of those tiny digital point and shoot cameras. I took so many photos all of the time of family, friends, school events, and vacations. You name it, I was clicking away. My passion continued to grow in high school when I took my first photography class. I ended up taking all of the three photo classes my school offered. I even convinced my counselor to add an extra photo class for me during senior year, knowing that I applied to study photography in college. I had my first paid photography gig my sophomore year of high school – it was a one-year-old birthday party. I remember how exciting it was to get paid for documenting a special moment in someone’s life! After that, I was hired for sweet sixteens, family portraits, product shoots, and even some weddings. I started to take photography more seriously and reached out to photographers in my community to learn more. I interned for a local portrait photographer named Danny Sanchez. He taught me about portraiture, lighting, editing, and working with clients. I also took a photography class at the local community college with Veronica Yankowski Ligouri. She taught me about shutter speed, aperture, ISO and hired me to assist a few of her photoshoots. Thanks to these mentors in my life early on, I felt confident enough in my photography skills to apply to some art schools in New York City. I ended up choosing to study at Parsons School of Design and graduated with a BFA in Photography and a minor in Global Studies. It was an incredible experience to study at one of the most prestigious art schools in the world, in one of the most inspiring cities in the world. I feel very privileged to have done so. But New York City took its toll on me, and after five years, the hustle and bustle wasn’t for me anymore.
In 2018, I decided to pack up and move to San Diego. I had only been there once on a road trip, but I had fallen in love with the beach, the lifestyle, and as a photographer, the beautiful sunlight. I felt like it was going to be the perfect place for me, and it has been for the past three years. Although it hasn’t been easy starting over in a new city, I have found my way as a freelance photographer and photo instructor. When I first arrived, I reached out to everyone in the photography industry in San Diego and sent emails with my website and resume. I received a few replies, and so began my photography career here. I started working for Pacific San Diego Magazine photographing events around the city. I taught Camera & Photo Basics lessons for Rob Andrew’s Local Photo Classes based in Vista. I started getting hired for portraits from the few people I knew here. I also applied to work as an Assistant Teaching Artist for The AjA Project, a nonprofit based in City Heights. I was fortunate enough to find work right away and get my foot in the door. I was also hired for Backroads Active Travel shortly after I moved to San Diego, so I spent a few months each year leading hiking and biking trips around the world. Working for Backroads fills my other passion – travel. Sometimes it’s difficult to juggle all of the different jobs and responsibilities I’ve had since moving here, but that’s how I thrive – wearing many different hats. There have been so many people and experiences that have shaped me and my career here, but I’d need a whole book to write all of that!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road. I grew up privileged and have had many opportunities throughout my life thanks to that. But of course, I’ve also had my own set of struggles. Trying to make it as a photographer in New York City was one of the most challenging moments of my career. Even after graduation when I had a fresh network of professors and peers, it was hard to find steady work. I also started to dislike living in New York City. I was constantly traveling whenever I saved up enough money. I did a six months trip through Central America & Mexico, I traveled to Cuba, and I worked for Putney Student Travel leading Nat Geo trips in Italy, Greece, and Yosemite. I photographed wherever I went, but it was mostly on my dime. Whenever I returned to New York, I wasn’t working as a photographer as much as I was waitressing to make ends meet. When I finally moved to San Diego 3 years ago, I felt like I could make it as a photographer and not rely on waitressing as my main source of income. But as I continued to travel for Backroads, I was spending 4-5 months away from San Diego each year. I love working for Backroads, but being away for so long made it difficult to establish my photography career and maintain a regular flow of clients. I had to invent other avenues of income for when I returned to San Diego, such as Airbnb experiences (I have a photography workshop and a biking experience), an Etsy Print Shop to sell prints of my work, teaching private and group photo lessons, and a few other side hustles. And of course, last year the pandemic presented its own hardships. Photoshoots and lessons came to a halt. I had to apply for unemployment. Luckily, I was able to continue some virtual teaching with high school & middle school students at The AjA Project, but it was not easy.
Despite the setbacks, I found ways to stay creative and continue shooting. I was inspired by one of my favorite photographers, Alessio Albi. I saw that he was still photographing his subjects during the lockdown using FaceTime and the screenshot button on his iPhone. So I tried it. I asked a couple of friends to humor me, and we did a virtual photoshoot. It was fantastic! My voice was the only thing I used to direct my subjects, so it was a challenge, but that’s what made it fun. I would ask them to change the lighting or move their phone/laptop around to get the right composition, then I would take screenshots of them. Surprisingly, this resulted in some interesting images. Now that the world has opened up a bit more since last year, I have been able to book more gigs and lessons. But I have been facing other struggles more recently. I have been trying to understand what my purpose is as a photographer. I feel like I am uncovering more about who I am and what I stand for, and I want that to be represented more in my photographs and the types of photoshoots I am doing. I know this will be a lifelong journey, but for now, I have taken a break from photographing in order to reflect and think about how I can shoot more meaningfully, ethically, and responsibly in my communities.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been working as a professional freelance photographer for the past ten years. My work spans many different forms of photography, but I would say that I am mostly a portrait photographer. Portraiture is what I love the most and what I do best – whether it’s street portraits of strangers, candid portraits of my friends, or professional portraits for clients. You name it, I’ve probably done it. I’ve had experience in editorial & fashion, events, travel, landscape, product, some video, and everything else in between. My other passion is street photography. There’s not much money to be made in this kind of work, but I enjoy it because it’s an outlet for my creativity. Street photography is all about the thrill of serendipity – capturing a moment in the blink of an eye that can never be replicated. I love spending a few hours wandering a street, a neighborhood, or anywhere in public and photographing the world as I see it. It’s fun to see what my eye notices. It’s a way to create art out of the mundane and document the beauty I see in the world that others may not. I think that’s what sets me apart from other photographers. I have been training my photographic eye for over a decade. I see the world in compositions and lighting. When I photograph, I make sure that the image comes out almost perfectly in the camera so that my images don’t require much editing. Most photographers I see today use filters and heavy editing when processing their images.
For some clients, that’s the look they desire. But for me, I prefer a more natural style to shooting and editing, which creates a more realistic look to my images. And because I studied art history and photography history in college, I find that my style has a more classic feel to it than others. I realized recently that my eye is attracted to lighting and compositions that resemble classical paintings, and this look appeals to certain clients. I also hardly use any equipment when I work. I typically shoot with natural available light and only carry my camera, 1-2 lenses, and maybe a reflector. This allows me to shoot anywhere at any time and get stunning images. I am proud of these skills I have learned over the years and the body of work I have created, as well as the connections I have made through photography. Following my dreams hasn’t been easy, especially as a woman in a male-dominated industry. I have had financial ups and downs throughout my life. There have been dry spells where no work is coming in. But I have never stopped taking photos and trying everything I can to make it work. I can’t imagine doing anything else other than photography, and I feel so privileged to have been able to pursue my dreams from a young age. But my photography career did not happen overnight, and everyday it’s a struggle to market my work and reach new clients. I am always trying to prove my worth and justify my rates. This business comes with a lot of rejection. But the skills I’ve learned as an entrepreneur and as an artist relate to other parts of my life, and it has made me more resilient. It’s not easy, but I prefer this way of life over anything else.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories was going to the beach every summer in New Jersey where I grew up. My whole family, all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins, would meet down the shore (as we call it in New Jersey) at my grandma’s house in a small beach town called Long Beach Island. We’d go to the beach during the day, grab a push-up pop or a klondike bar from the ice cream truck, and collect shells that had washed up on the shore. I still have a seashell collection from when I was a kid. Then at night, we’d hit up the arcade and try our best to win a slinky or a stuffed animal and slurp up some of the best clam chowder (or “chowda”) in the country! I will always cherish the memories of spending time with my family at the beach, it’s something that has shaped me and my connection to nature. My mood is always better when I’m at the beach. If I’m having a bad day or need to lift my spirits, the beach always does that for me. I truly feel at home when I’m by an ocean or body of water.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello.annalynch@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.annagracelynch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andiamo.anna/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andiamo.anna
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/anna-lynch-photographer-san-diego
- Other: https://g.page/r/Cd2XPFGyPguuEAE
Image Credits
Personal photo shot by Rasha Asfour Additional photos shot by Anna Lynch (me)
