Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Vanderheyden
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My passion for photography, and specifically in fashion, began back in high school. This led me to New York City, where I received my BFA in Photography from the Fashion Institute of Technology. From there, I began my career with the connections I had built during school. I officially began my own company and went full-time freelance in 2018, growing my client list until today. During school I started specializing in retouching and video editing, both of which I do on a regular basis today. While I do mostly fashion, I’ve branched out into food and cookware as well. Some of my clients over the years include Everlane, Rent the Runway, HelloFresh, Daily Harvest, Our Place, Caleres, and many, many more. For 2025, I’m working with a dear friend Kalaija Mallery (of the Luminary in St. Louis) to start an STL based photo agency called PD/A. We are focusing on nightlife and party photography right now, with plans to expand out into other areas. I’ve bee fortunate to call St. Louis (where I grew up) and NYC as home, splitting time between both over the last 12 years.
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?
My journey has been relatively smooth in terms of feeling like I was on the right path. Finding work over the years has been hard at times—being freelance, I’ve had big clients of mine change direction and outsource work that I had been doing for them, leaving me to scramble to find other jobs. After graduating college I worked full-time as a photo editor in an office, seeking some stability. After a year and a half of that I realized I wanted to be my own boss and in charge of my work. This sparked me to go freelance full-time, which was scary, but ultimately brought me so much joy.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Alex Vanderheyden Photography?
I specialize in retouching, photography, and video editing. I would say I do each of those in that order. The majority of my work is retouching and post production, but I do get behind the camera here and there. Most of my photo work now is party photography, where I’m creating a distinct look to my images. I also do shoot and edit short videos for certain clients, and I love those gigs as well. I’m proud of my attention to detail, my eye for what works and what does not. I’ve built a lot of trust and strong relationships with clients who come to me and know that I will be able to see their vision come to life, and be honest with them about what is and is not feasible.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
They can reach out to me! I’m looking to build my STL community and find more opportunities locally, especially in the photography space.
My personal instagram is @alex_vanderheyden and the agency I’m working on with Kalaija is @publicdisplay_________
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexvanderheyden.com
- Instagram: @alex_vanderheyden
