Today we’d like to introduce you to David Mitchell
Hi David, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always had an interest in sports photography/videography. When I was in middle school, I bought a drone with a video camera on it and used it to shoot short videos of me and my brother doing tricks on our scooters. I really gained a stronger interest when I was a senior in high school. I decided to take a photography class just for fun and to just try something new. I discovered I really love taking pictures in the hallways and capturing emotions of my classmates. I liked being able to show a story with the pictures I took.
One day I decided to ask if I could borrow the camera from my photography class and take some pictures and video at the basketball teams JV game. I used the pictures and videos I shot and began creating highlight videos for my friends. which I really enjoyed doing. I also began shooting pictures and videos for the school’s soccer and volleyball teams. I then, had friends ask me to shoot pictures of school events.
I decided I wanted to buy my own camera so I could continue shooting photos and videos and develop my skills and client base so I started saving up for one. By the end of the school year I still didn’t have the money saved up for my own camera, so I asked if I could borrow the school camera over the summer to keep taking pictures and video and it would allow me more time to save up for my own camera. My teacher was gracious enough to let me borrow it.
Over the summer I kept shooting photos and videography for sports events that were going on for travelling and competitive team leagues. I also did some family photos and some engagement photos for a few people.
In July, I got my first big job for a local AAU Basketball team in my area. They reached out to me and asked if I wanted to go to Vegas with the team and record their games and take some pictures as well. I took that opportunity and learned a lot and I was able to learn from other photographers who were there as well.
When the school year started back up I reached out to multiple high school athletic directors and asked if I could come and take pictures for their school’s football team to get a little more exposure and get my name out there more. This gave me a lot of opportunity and helped me to grow and gain a lot of experience in doing football photography.
About halfway through the football season I was able to get my own camera. I have been slowly expanding my equipment to help improve my video and picture quality. I am currently shooting basketball games and doing the same process that I did for football so I I can keep growing and getting my name out there.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been a lot of challenges that I have had to overcome. The thing that sticks out to me the most is, the greatest battles that I have to overcome are the ones in my head. When something is hard or I am unsure of myself, I have to continuously tell myself not to give up and to find a way to do what I want to do or find someone who can help me. By doing this and staying positive I have been able to keep going and build my brand and work towards the dreams that I have doing photography and videography.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a sports photographer and videographer. I take photos and create highlight reels for players/sports teams who want to showcase their talent on social media. I think the thing that i’m most proud of is how hard I have worked to get my own camera. Since the equipment is so expensive, I have had to work hard to get it. Not go into debt for it is something that was important to me. I am proud of myself for sticking to my goals. Something that sets me apart from others is the connection that I have with the clients that I get (high school kids). I have been in a lot of similar situations as them and I know what its like wanting pictures or a highlight video but it being too expensive or being scared to reach out. I really try to keep my prices low to attract my target audience., I also try to do what I can to make things as convenient for my client as possible.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
something that I like best about our city is all of the opprotunity and support that is in it. there is a lot of support from the community where I live and its awesome. something that I don’t like about our city is all of the violence that’s in it.
Pricing:
- Individual photo: $45
- Team photos: $100
- Individual mixtape: $80
- Team mixtape:$150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dmitchprod.pixieset.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZFzFOOK0ESleEJDnUDg9RBDTNYVRIKEwapmuZvRIKT5Yv3lZRU_C7CrlE_aem_1K1u1yFg5k5oGG46PXL0MA
- Instagram: d_mitch.prod
