In this Female Creator Spotlight, we sat down with Lindsay Adler to discuss her career so far, and what has inspired her as a photographer.
What are your primary professional responsibilities?
I am paid to be a visual problem solver. Although, more generally, you’d just call me a photographer. I specialize in the world of portrait and fashion photography. My clients range from celebrities, to independent designers, to major advertising agencies, prestigious magazines, and more.
My job is multifaceted. That’s why calling me a photographer doesn’t really encompass all of my responsibilities. I work with clients to discuss their visual goals, build bids, work on production, shoot stills and direct videos, and oversee post-production.
I am also an educator! I’ve been sharing my knowledge, inspiration, and processes with photographers for well over a decade through in-person workshops, lectures, and online courses.
Why did you decide to enter your industry? And can you tell me about that journey?
My love of photography actually began as a way to spend time with the women of my family. My mother, grandmother, and aunt would explore the family farm with cameras in hand. We would each capture the beauty we saw — details of a mushroom, the landscape of the rolling hills, a portrait of a horse. It was a way to bond, explore, and share beauty.
Because I quickly fell in love with photography, I started to also take portraits. By age 15, I had started a portrait studio out of my parent’s living room. I photographed weddings, babies, high school senior portraits, families, and more in our small town in upstate New York.
After high school, I went to college at Syracuse University where I studied Visual and Interactive Communications (Photography), Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprising (Business) and Political Science. During college I continued to run my portrait studio to save money and support my career and education.
I could make this next part a long story, but I think its best to keep it short. Fundamentally, in college, I took a class on fashion photography and fell in love with the visuals — the elegance, the conceptual imagery, the experimentation, and more. After college, I continued to run my portrait studio in upstate New York while making trips to New York City to make connections, market myself, and shoot editorials. Now, I’ve been building my career even 12 years later!
To learn more about Lindsay Adler and her work, check out her recent photoshoot with Miss America 2022, and find more videos at AdoramaTV:
Who do you consider to be your professional inspirations or role models?
One of the great things about changes in technology and social media is that an artist can forge their own path. I have a job that — in many ways — didn’t exist even 15 years ago. I am a photographer but I also am an online educator. When I first moved to NYC, I was told that I had to choose: Do I want to shoot or do I want to teach? We know today that there are many successful professionals that share their knowledge through online courses and that influencers often share based upon their expertise.
While there are many women (and men) that I look to for creative inspiration in my profession, I think that my actual inspiration for my career was very much just my desire to create, share, and live a life filled with my passions rather than conforming to what I was supposed to do.
How do you believe your gender identity has impacted your career?
When I first moved to NYC, it was quite challenging to be a woman. One of the ways that you can get connections in the industry is to assist other photographers. Yet, time and time again I had male photographers tell me they didn’t hire female assistants. This was due to a variety of reasons ranging from not sharing hotel rooms on traveling jobs, to not believing women would be strong enough to carry gear. It was extremely discouraging. Although, this rejection pushed me to find other paths that ultimately led me to where I am today.
I believe — in the teaching and online education realm of my career — that being a woman has helped me reach audiences that had not previously been well represented.
What would you consider to be the most challenging part of your job?
It is hard to balance it all. When I am busy, it feels like I am just keeping up with the upcoming shoot rather than planning for the future.
Furthermore, I think another challenging part of the job is managing people. While on set, I am a captain of the ship leading us all in one direction. Hair, makeup, models, assistants, and sometimes dozens of people are looking to me to lead a shoot and create successful images.
What advice would you pass on to other women to help them progress in this industry?
Find your unique stylistic voice, and then seek out brands and clients that may align with your vision. We often try to please other people — but you can never please everyone. Focus on your own art and then you will find people who want to be a part of your creative journey.
Lastly, make space for other women in your business. Whether assistants, or accountants, or your creative team… seek out and support women. 42West also published a list of programs and communities catered to women content creators.
