Daily Inspiration: Meet Indyah Bryant

Today we’d like to introduce you to Indyah Bryant.

Hi Indyah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Ever since I can remember, my parents always ensured my siblings, and I had a creative outlet. Outside of drawing, the main activities that always stayed with me were photography and videography. My dad introduced me to photography and videography and taught me the basics of editing and creating graphics through Photoshop and Final Cut Pro X. As I got older, I was able to take photography classes in high school and college to expand my knowledge of photography basics. My time in college made me realize photography was a passion that could advantageously provide a profit, along with my video skills as well.

During my undergrad degree, I had multiple internships where I created video content for my college and a range of content from graduation photos to brand videos for friends who needed my assistance. My first production name and logo were based on my college career and personality. I loved wearing bandanas around my curly hair puff and being infamous as the girl who would always say “Dope.” to play off acronyms. My production name was “D.O.P.E.,” which was “Definitely Opening People’s Eyes.” For further compliments to my individuality, my logo was a silhouette of me wearing my bandana around my curly hair and glasses. Essentially it made sense to base my brand on my everyday life.

I like to tell people my passion and brand developed during my last year of college. I learned my passion was not just about capturing photos and videos but being able to tell the story of others who are working in their passions. Fast forward to today, where I’m still able to tell the stories of others but with a different lens. Today, my revitalized brand is “Indy’s Den,” which I believe is more than just about me. By that, I mean my original brand was centered around the idea of people seeing my work and loving the energy. Indy’s Den is an immersive and shared experience between myself, the lens, and others. I want people to feel like they are all in this with me because I wouldn’t have produced the same quality shots without the people I collaborated with. Sometimes I’ll edit right next to my client, and I’ll be like, “we did this!”. I want to let them know it’s not just me in this process but us because it’s our project.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
I like to believe that every creative goes through a time during their craft and career when they hit a creative block. There are often periods when I feel like my work isn’t giving me the fulfillment I want it to or that I don’t have the same drive as I did in the past. However, it’s in these moments that I find myself falling back in love with photos and video. While finding motivation around me, I’m learning more and finding fresher ways to outdo my last project and grow in my craft.

Also, having a full-time job while doing freelance is very difficult at times because, in addition to balancing those two jobs, I’m trying to find times to relax; however, to make sure I am balancing freelancing and my full-time job, I make sure to let my clients know that I am only available for shoots on the weekend. Another issue I tend to run into is burnout, especially when it comes to video. Part of my job in my full-time role is videography and editing, which can sometimes be beneficial because I am to learn and practice new video tricks. However, on the flip side, since I edit videos at work, sometimes I lose motivation to do any video editing, causing me to hit a creative block. Fortunately, video isn’t the main role at my job, so I have other items I can work on once I start to feel like I am burning out. Knowing that I spend more time editing videos, I typically try to take on more photography gigs to balance the amount of time spent on editing videos.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a photographer and videographer who enjoys bringing the vision and story of others to life. Depending on who you talk to determines what I am known; for some of my clients from my college years know me for my videography because that’s what my focus was most of the time. The clients I meet today know me more about my photography, which is what I prefer. Photography was my first love and was my medium of choice before video, so the older I get, the more I prefer it. I like to let my clients know that my job is to help them see their natural beauty and individuality. The meaning behind the “Den” part of my brand name is the idea of being in the den of a house. Growing up, we used our den to hang out with family and friends, watch movies, and share stories. I want my clients to feel like we are sharing stories and having fun together; fortunately, I can say most of them feel that way! I talk frequently, and some I follow on social media to become friends outside work.

I can say that I am extremely proud of the versatility of the projects that I’ve had over the years. My portfolio ranges from photo shoots for local music artists, working on video projects for colleges, to creating content for local fashion shows. I stand out because I try to build my brand based on my clients’ experiences. I try to find new ways to make them comfortable by listening, encouraging, and seeing them as more than just a tool for profit or exposure.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
While in college, I made many great friends that I have and will continue to collaborate with over the years. Honestly, through those relationships, I have made other connections and found avenues to network with other creators.

One of my friends and I have been collaborating since we were in college. I see her as one of my business mentors because of her networking abilities and how she collaborates with other creatives in the area. She has her own business and has helped me gain many of the clients I have today.

When it comes to using resources to network, one of the platforms I use is Facebook because of the different groups explicitly created for collaborating and networking with people in a specific field. One of my favorite and most recent projects originally started on Facebook. There’s a group for photographers/videographers and models to connect and give advice on how to get started within this field. I posted a statement saying that I was thinking about getting into doing cosplay photography and needed a model who does cosplay or wanted to work in that niche as well. After a few minutes and reading through the responses, I found someone I could connect with, and since then, we have done two shoots and planned a third. So for me, Facebook and my connections have been the biggest tools for me to collaborate and network with other creatives and businesses in the area.

I am blessed to be able to have a wide network of people I can connect with and connect others to. I do not believe that I would be the same creator I am today if I hadn’t been able to work with so many amazing people. When creative and ambitious people surround you, you find yourself having the same traits or wanting to have the same drive so you can grow in your craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.indysden.space
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indysden/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/indysden
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC20xdCftP0-9SeN8ia4iaOA