Connect
To Top

Meet Colleen Duffley

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen Duffley.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Colleen. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a Photographer, Director, and Brand Manager. I have a small ad agency. We work with a variety of very diverse companies. They range from aviation to fashion… interiors to food. People, places, and things. I shoot the works. 🙂

I went to photography school in Pittsburgh and worked in a fashion studio. I then moved to South Florida and was shooting Fashion, Resort and catalog photography. At 23 years old, I had a job offer from Time Warner to move to Birmingham, Alabama to shoot for Southern Progress, which published Southern Living, Southern Accents and several other shelter magazines I also was shooting for the Book publishing company Oxmoor house. I was shooting everything from Cookbooks to Interiors and still doing lifestyle as well. I was traveling around 220 days a year, shooting around the globe. I loved the diversity and travel. To me, shooting lots of different subjects and being diverse… one makes you better at the others. Knowing fashion helps with interiors, etc.

From Birmingham, I moved to The big D (the first time). I was hired by a catalog studio and shot for Neiman Marcus, Horchow, Pottery Barn, etc. I was with the studio for just a few years before going out on my own.

I had an amazing daylight studio just off of turtle creek and continued on shooting for Neiman Marcus. I shot everything from the Christmas Catalogue and all the fun secret gifts to the catalog for cooks. the diversity of being able to do several things has always paid off. I like to say, I have creative A.D.D. I just love switching gears… doing product one day and the next day food or fashion. While in Dallas, I still shot editorial. I love the magazine world and the creative freedom that I had. I shot for all of the publishing companies and Magazines. Honestly, the reason I was hired for the catalog due to my work that looked like an editorial. The reason I got hired for editorial is that I had the skills and speed of an advertising photographer and again the ability to shoot any subject matter. I was still traveling around the globe quite a bit and working for UK magazines and had quite a few jobs in Italy.

In around 2000, I bought a beach house and moved to the beach. I was traveling so much so didn’t really matter where I was traveling from and I was doing less studio work in Dallas. I had a studio at the beach and traveled quite a bit. I was able to bring catalog work here because the location is fab.

I started a creative venue at the beach which brought together all of the creative minds and greats that I had met along my career. It was called studio b. (I can send you video and press kit about studio b.) It was called the French Salon of our time by Garden and Gun Magazine. I was still shooting while doing studio b. But it took a lot of time and was a great creative adventure. The problem was… I started it in the worst economic time and in an area that was having major hurricanes those years and an oil spill.

I decided to go back to shooting, directing and branding full time and the experienced I gained gave me an even deeper skill set which helps me be a better brand manager, producer, director, and stylist.

I have been the creative director and brand manager for an aviation company, several interior design firms and also doing all of the branding etc for fashion stores, resorts, etc.

I have a new studio in Dallas, right near Fair Park. It’s 2500 sq ft space with amazing windows. We have also been doing some pop-ups there (a bit of studio b… in Dallas).

I’m splitting my time between Dallas and the beach with lots of travel in-between.

I’m loving being back in Dallas. It has grown and Is growing so much. I totally love the energy and the creative vibe there.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being in a creative industry… not sure if the road is ever totally smooth. Honestly, I feel so lucky to have been a part of the industry when It was in its hay day… budgets, etc. It’s a different world now in every industry, but I think digital has changed things a lot. Somethings for the better and some not so much.

I have had an amazing career and still love it so much I can’t imagine any other path for me. I always say… I won the career lottery.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Colleen Duffley Productions – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Colleen Duffley Productions is a full-service agency. We, of course, do Photography… but we also do branding, websites, design ads, content and help companies grow their brand. We do video, creative direction, and art direction as well.

We specialize in creative problem-solving. Some clients come to us with only an idea for a company… sometimes not even a name and we work them thru the creative process. I love it. It is what makes us different I believe from other companies. as well.

There is just myself and my assistant and we both get to wear a lot of hats. Of course, we farm out some things to trusted vendors but mostly we do it all. I love that people are surprised to hear its just a small company doing the work and creation of a big agency.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The future wow. I am so excited to be in a career for 30 years and I still love it like a newbie. I continue trying to grow and learn new things. Video and drone photography is now a bigger part of what we do and wants to continue to grow those avenues.

I am planning to spend some time in the UK and Ireland this summer. I’m very excited about that. I just love it there.

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in