Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandalyn Gilles.
Mandalyn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Photography has always been something that fascinated me, but it wasn’t until one day when I found myself at the lowest low that I decided to pick up a camera for myself. Shortly after graduating with my Ph.D., I found myself all alone in a new city. My husband deployed, my mother suddenly passed away, and despite having a new job and puppy, I couldn’t gather the strength to get out of bed. On a whim, I decided to impulse order a Sony mirrorless camera and teach myself how to use it to keep busy. Through the camera, I found a new reason to wake up every day and my passion for improving my skills and taking images I love spread in me like wildfire. I gained a love of travel and landscape photography from living in Italy and, after some time, became a photography mentor and educator. Now I teach manual camera basics, Lightroom, mobile shooting and editing, and a course on capturing the world around you.
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?
Self-confidence has always been something that’s been a struggle for me. Not just being confident in who I am as a person, but being confident that I am a skilled enough at my craft to show my work and teach others. Over time, the impostor syndrome has diminished, but it was definitely something that held me back initially.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in travel and landscape photography, but I teach several online courses pertaining to camera basics, Adobe Lightroom, mobile photography and editing, and creative photography. I enjoy mentoring other photographers and sharing my personal work.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Look for a group of like-minded individuals that share similar views. I joined an association of professional photographers whose focus is on amplifying the voice of women (Click Pro) a few years ago, and it has been one of the best decisions in terms of my photography. The community is uplifting and positive and afforded me opportunities to share my work with others, get published, teach courses, and become a mentor to other aspiring photographers.
Contact Info:
- Email: mandalyn@mandalynrenee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandalynrenee
Image Credits
Mandalyn Gilles
