29 years old • Wellington
Co-owner of Machmer Media
What’s your occupation? Explain your career, accomplishments and professional highlights.
I’m a photographer and co-owner of Machmer Media. I must say that the best part of my job is the people I get to work with on a daily basis. Throughout my time in the business, I have had the privilege of working with a rich tapestry of influential people throughout Northern Colorado and beyond. From photographing the mayors of Fort Collins, Estes Park, Longmont and Loveland to capturing moments with Temple Grandin, it has been an honor to become entwined with the community. Beyond Northern Colorado, I have had my work published with Good Morning America and Dance Magazine.
Tell us about yourself, your history and how you came to be where you are now.
Before building a media business with my partner, we were both professional concert dancers and choreographers. Although I spent most of my time dancing growing up, I also had an affinity for photography. Having started out with a Nikon COOLPIX camera and transitioning to a 35mm film camera in high school, I was always allured by the power of an image. About five years ago, I decided I wanted to meld my two passions, and what started as a fun side project photographing dance turned into a career in photography.
Tell us something unique about you.
My background in dance and choreography gives me a unique perspective when creating images and collaborating with others. When it comes down to it, photographing is not all that different from creating for the stage; it is essentially working with light, composing bodies in space, designing sets and telling a story. I feel fortunate to still use the skills I learned from studying the fine arts in college throughout my daily work.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment or challenge you’ve overcome, either professionally or personally?
Overcoming the fear of failure. Entrepreneurship in the creative realm is vulnerable. There is no clear path forward, and you are always looking for ways to stand out and be unique. Failure is the best teacher, the best slice of humble pie, and is always inevitable. I find that some of my best work is inspired by failures I’ve had in the past.
Where do you see yourself in five years? In 10 years?
Down the road, I hope to be doing a lot of what I’m doing now: creating with people. Eventually, it would be amazing to bring additional unique creatives onto our team. My role as a photographer may change, but I don’t think I will ever stop wanting to be a part of helping people’s visions come to life.
What piece(s) of advice would you give to your younger self?
Growing up, my life basically revolved around dance training. It wasn’t until later in life that I realized I was talented at a lot of other things. I think I would go back and tell myself to stay curious and not be afraid to try (and fail at) new things. I’d also say that it’s okay for your dreams to evolve.
What led you to look beyond dance and branch out to other passions, like photography?
Ever since I was young, I’ve been a visual thinker. Most words and feelings have images, colors and shapes associated with them in my head. My abstract way of thinking lent itself well when it came to choreography and dance. While creating within the dance realm, I’d have choreographic visions that would often spark ideas beyond the proscenium stage. Through photography and film, a whole new realm of possibilities opened up for creating. Over time, my ideas have expanded beyond dance and choreography, and I’ve fallen in love with the endless possibilities photography offers.
What is different/challenging about photographing dancers as opposed to doing other types of photography?
I think the hardest part about photographing dance is that it’s a movement-based art form. The visual aesthetic of dance is largely based on its foundation of technique that dancers spend their careers refining every day. The challenge in this type of photography is to capture a single moment in time that somehow communicates this technique-driven movement through space.
Explain your community involvement.
A lot of my work is done within the nonprofit realm. I’m grateful to work with these organizations because their goals are oriented toward enriching the lives of people in Northern Colorado. Through collaborating on marketing campaigns and publications, I have had a part in many impactful initiatives such as exposing dance and theatre arts to young kids, helping advance clean energy locally and promoting live music in downtown Fort Collins. I will be collaborating with IMPACT Dance Company to present an evening-length dance performance and gallery exhibition in early November that will intertwine large-scale photographs and dance on film with live performances. We are also excited to expand Machmer Media by opening a commercial studio soon; having a brick-and-mortar space has been a dream for a while and will allow us to integrate further with the NOCO creative community.
