In the Studio with Dan Goodrich
Self Portrait, Dan Goodrich
Today we are going In the Studio with Dan Goodrich, CAC’s new Venue Director. By day, he oversees the entire production side of the Chesapeake Arts Center including scheduling, maintenance, and operations in our performance spaces plus management of our crew. Dan’s also what I like to call a Multitalented Creative. He’s a phenomenal professional wedding and portrait photographer and aspiring woodworker who “occasionally likes to dabble in acrylic painting, wood-burning, stained glass, watercolor, and mixed media.” Here’s Dan talking about his work, artistic process and making art his career:
On discovering photography: I was probably about 12 years old when I first picked up a camera. My father took me down to the neighborhood park and taught me how to use his Konica camera from the 70s. I moved on to using my mother’s DSLR and my grandfather’s camera from the 50s, and before long I was hooked.
On discovering theatre: My first exposure to theatre was in 7th grade when I joined the stage crew on a whim. I fell in love and by 10th grade I completed my first summer internship and began doing theatrical lighting semi-professionally. At 18, I became the Technical Director for a children’s theatre group in Catonsville called Supporting The Arts in Relay (STAR) and now I sit on the Board of Directors to continue to help the organization achieve its mission.
On designing his career: My first full time job out of college was doing art copy photography for a high-end art gallery and frame shop in Baltimore. This allowed me to find my next position as a professional photographer for the Maryland Historical Society documenting artifacts and paintings for archival purposes. These two jobs gave me the opportunity to learn and practice skills I still use to help local artists market their work and create quality prints for sale. Now, as side-gigs, I photograph weddings and do artwork copy photography for local artists.
On finding inspiration: I am most inspired by the work other creatives are making. It’s a combination of seeing the fruits of their passion and the amazing skills and ideas they have crafted for themselves. I also love seeing where inspiration has come from for others, especially when it extends beyond pre-existing art. My current personal project focuses on medium- and large-format film portrait photography. One of the biggest inspirations for my current project is an archive of 1920s mugshots from the Justice & Police Museum in Sydney, Australia. A selection can be found here.
On finding your voice as an artist: Keep doing what you enjoy doing and make what you want to make. It’s easy to get caught up in whatever is trendy on Instagram, or to worry about how many likes and comments you’re getting. But if you keep creating for yourself, you’ll find your personal style and feel much more fulfilled. Then it will also mean so much more when people react positively to your art.
To learn more about Dan and his work, visit www.DanJGoodrich.com.