Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Dubose
Lindsey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story starts with my passion for people with special needs. In the year 2000, I sat behind a little boy with Down syndrome in church one Sunday. I couldn’t pay attention to anything else that day – and in those moments, I knew this was what I wanted to dedicate my life to. I was only a Freshman in high school, but I found various ways to get involved with the Special Needs community. Fast forward many years later to 2010. I was selected to go on a trip to Kenya with my church to serve in an orphanage in Kenya. During my travels, I got to see disabilities internationally for the very first time. It fascinated me, as well as deeply saddened me. Some cultures around the world see disabilities as a curse, so many will hide or abandon babies that have been born with a disability. Many times these individuals are not allowed to pursue after an education alongside their peers. The more I got to travel, the more my heart started to grow towards photography. I saw beauty in people’s stories and wanted to help share those. Since my first trip to Kenya, I have gone to India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Guatemala, Uganda and more. In all of these places, I was able to work in orphanages on some level, and help serve those around the community while studying more details of photography. Along with photography, I was able to help build ramps and provide wheelchairs to people in need and capture pieces of those adventures. I’ve seen some of the poorest people around the world have the most joy. I’ve walked through places that people in the USA wouldn’t believe were real unless they saw it with their own eyes. I’ve been able to be the very first westerner inside a Turkana tribe village in the bush of Kenya, walked through a mental health facility that felt and looked more like a prison, and spent precious moments with people with disabilities all over the world. I believe that everyone has something to say, but it just takes one person to genuinely listen to make a difference. My hope is to some day produce a documentary about conditions of people with disabilities all over the world. Since traveling, I have gotten married, started a family, so more of my work is stateside, but I definitely have the itch to bring along the entire family to do some international exploring.
To me, it was amazing to travel, to learn new languages, dive into other peoples culture, and to provide Hope to so many people. More recently I have realized that all of those valuable things I learned while traveling are still just as important living my life without as much travel as they were important with traveling. Love those in your community. Be kind. Genuinely get to know others. Have empathy. Put other people’s needs above your own. I think with these things, we have the power to create a world that we are excited to live in.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think everyone can say finances are some of the biggest challenges right now with traveling, equipment, … etc. Aside from that, in this season of my life, it is scheduling the time to travel and focus of photography. I work full time as a teacher, have a family, and want to find time to continue my side business of photography, along with other hobbies and self-care.
On a deeper level, I think I can struggle with the problem of comparison and self-doubt. I often look at these phenomenal photographers and think “man – I’m not where they are. I need to be more like that before I really put myself out there.” The better part of me knows those intrusive thoughts are lies, so I keep pressing forward and strive to get better. I tend to over-analyze my own work and want it to be absolutely perfect, but at the end of the day, there will always be something about my own work that I want to improve. That gap will always be motivation for growth, but I can’t let it stop me from pursuing dreams.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My heart still is to travel, do humanitarian photography, share stories, and serve people. Again, at this stage in my life, I have temporarily put travel on hold for a bit of time right now as I have young children now. My focus now, as a photographer, is mainly shooting family portraits, engagement sessions, and headshots when I am not working as a teacher full time. There is something special about capturing the love that people have for one another. My hope is to be a safe place for all people who choose me to take their portraits. I hope clients feel my patience, flexibility, determination, and desire to make their session with me fun and upbeat as much as possible. Since my passion revolves around people with disAbilities, I am also determined to provide those in that community and their families with more patience, understanding and more flexibility. I know that it is already hard enough as a family to get photos taken, then on top of that – the extra things that people with disabilities juggle: sensory issues with cameras, processing speed of instructions/prompts, the process of getting ready … etc. My hope is to show extra understanding and grace to those families.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I don’t know why, but this one comes to mind. I was a cheerleader in middle and high school. I was learning how to do a standing back tuck, and for whatever reason, I decided to try it during half-time on the football field as everyone is watching. I didn’t pull up hard enough, and BAM, I landed flat on my face. I got up and had grass all over my face and in my hair. Thankfully I was laughing about it then, but I was internally a little embarrassed. I’ve thought of that from time to time and realized how grateful I was that smart phones were not around because I may have just gone viral.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lndubosephotography.com/
- Instagram: lndubosephotos
- Facebook: Lindsey N DuBose Photography
