When I was in second grade, my Dad, Dr. Edward Denys, thought it I was responsible enough to use his old box camera. To this day, I am not sure if I really did see anything in the view finder, but I did get some great pictures.
Off and on I dabbled in the art of photography with some pretty primitive equipment. High school led to college and I came away with a degree in computer science. Not exactly the roots of a photographer.
In the eighties my Mom received a present from a trucking company. It was a Minolta XG9 camera with quite a variety of lenses. She was able to work it quite well. I admired the system and its possibilities. One day, Mom got the point and shoot urge, and gave it to me.
In July 1991 I left the lucrative field of computer consulting and became a stay at home dad. I studied photography at Hennepin Technical College, simply to really learn about my equipment. The words of one of my instructors was “ you are capturing the reflections of light on images to film”. Words to live by.
My first portrait was of my second son, who was about nine months at the time. With the camera on a bean bag placed on an old floor standing ash tray, and the youngster on a sheet covered reclining chair, and the song “HOLD ON” by the group “YES” playing on the stereo, we created one dynamite portrait. To this day, it hangs at my studio.
In 1994 I did a portrait session with our exchange daughter and a friend. She had some really great things, including one picture that was used in an article about her in the Saint Cloud Times newspaper. She thought I had talent, and so did many others that saw those early sessions.
So, in Minnesota, I would photograph volleyball games, did a yearbook picture for a volleyball team, and a variety of other interesting subjects. Once visiting Cedar Rapids Iowa, with infant in one hand, six year old by my side, and two hundred millimeter zoom lens on the XG9, I took pictures of the game. They came out quite well.
In 1994, Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. As a family we decided that the first person to get a job within a few hours of Chicago where he lived, we would move. In 1995 we moved to Geneseo, Illinois for a job for my wife.
Still a house dad, I became Denny Scott. I picked up part time work at WGEN radio and also did a three month stint as the morning guy on WHHK-FM radio in Galva, Illinois. At WGEN there was an air personality by the name of Craig Denys who had a brother Scott Denys. Needless to say, the conversation with the station manager became so confusing that I had to change my name for air work. I also started doing some writing and photography on a contract basis for the Moline Dispatch. The radio stations were sold in June of 1996. In August 1996, I started Denny Scott Freelance Photography in Geneseo, Illinois. During my photography career I have also work for WKEI radio doing news reporting including a stint doing the daily morning news.
In November 1999, I moved the studio to a really great location
in
Downtown Davenport Iowa that at the time developers ignored making it
inexpensive.. I was able to serve the entire metro in a
really
dynamic studio setting. On this site you were able to see my product
offerings.
My specialties are weddings, portraiture especially for women including
business and standard portraiture. One area that sets me apart is my
offing
in Full Body Glamour and Boudoir Photography. I am the only
photographer
in the Quad Cities that actively pursues work in this area.
In June of 2005 I moved the studio to the Avenue of the
Cities. My landlord was a gentleman of 87 years with a keen
personality and a sharp eye for art and beauty. Besides owning
the building he ran a tanning salon. Unfortunately on August 8,
2006 an arsonist hit another business in the building and the building
became uninhabitable. Starting September 9, 2006 officially I am
back in Davenport, IA and am renting space from the Institute of
Therapeutic Massage and am next door to my friend JT Harms
Hypnotherapist. Also many thanks to Mike Smith at Bathmaxusa for letting me use is
front office area between locations allowing me to have a place to meet
with clients.
The big difference is my use of the tools of digital and an
adaptive spontaneous creativity. An avid Chroma Screen Background
Replacement user I have been doing background replacement since
1998. With my new Chroma Screen Background system, I am now able
do do this style at a reduced cost, and take it on the road.
Also, many clients have had the desire to do their own printing of
wedding, senior and family portraits. Commercial clients also
have this option.
Much of my work is on location. I have done weddings in
five states, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri. I
have enjoyed the variety and knowledge this has allowed me. I
have done commercial work in over fifteen states and have traveled
through more to do the work. Seeing the country has allowed me to
gain wonderful insights. I also am available to work with models
when I travel to help them with portfolios and technique including fine
art and editorial techniques.
I am also available for motivational speaking.
My studio is dedicated to my Dad who studied at the Art Institute in Chicago. He was a teacher at Luther South High School in Chicago, taught at Northern Michigan University in Marquette Michigan, also at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos, Illinois, and worked additional jobs that cut into his dreams as an artist. I do hold much of his original work at home, and use that as my inspiration in this pursuit.
I had not really thought of my work in these terms, but I went back and looked not only at my wedding work, but also my other work. It seemed to indeed be three dimensional, or as my client said, it came alive.
I then looked at the portraits that we had done before my career change (for the third time). School pictures, flat. Church directory pictures, flat. Other area photographers work, much of it flat.
I don’t break the rules, I just use the rules that other photographers don’t. At Denny Scott Photography, I treat the work as art, not science. Therefore, studio work will be different than anything you have seen in the past. Aspects of nature and every day life are used to make more than a mug shot. Whether it is for a publication or pure enjoyment, observe the other rules of photography with my work!
Oh yeah, in case you are curious, here is my self portrait.
Check out Models in the
Quad-Cities, a special
presentation of Denny Scott Photography
 dennyscottphoto.com |
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