About
About
Dale started taking pictures with an old Polaroid when he was a small child, about 4 years old or so. He was good even then, but he was also schizophrenic. (There are many long and painful stories between then and now that can be found in our new blog here.) When he had his major psychotic break in 2017, and all the hell that comes with realizing you are and have been a schizo your entire life, he needed something to help him cope. General therapy proved to be ineffective. So, he turned to his creative side for help. His photography is a way for him to focus on creating something beautiful, while ignoring the darkness he hears, sees, and feels day in and day out.
Dale is a special kind of photographer. Yes, he has an incredible talent for taking amazing pictures, but, despite the inner pain he suffers, he also has an outwardly sunny disposition and an extremely magnetic personality that makes him easy to talk to and fun to be around. He can brighten any room, even when his own heart is dark and hurting. When you do a private shoot with us, the entire experience is relaxed and comfortable, like visiting an old family friend. This makes for amazing portraits that look genuine and not forced or staged!
I, Dale’s wife, Jamie, am the business half of this dream team. I take Dale’s raw talent and refine it, give it some flair, some pinazz, and market the hell out of it! I do this not only as a source of income for myself, but as another way to help him feel like he is worth something. Schizophrenia takes a hard toll on someone’s self-worth and it requires a lot of effort from their loved ones to help them overcome those feelings. Few things help more than him seeing how much his work has helped others. He also needs a partner 24/7 to help him stay amongst the living, so every penny you spend with us keeps me home with him and helps me provide for our tiny family.
I am also determined to keep professional photography available to everyone and am extremely anti-classist. Our clients do not have to be part of the rich and beautiful club because they are part of the real and beautiful club! There are no filters, no Photoshop, no studio. We still do a few artistic touches from time to time, but Dale’s work is mostly centered around the true beauty of one’s real self and the beauty nature provides us with every day. It is not always perfectly manicured and expertly constructed down to the finest detail, but neither is real life, and it is within these flaws that we believe true beauty actually shines!
Ubiquitously Mental operates as ethically as we can in today’s crazy world and we give back whenever we have the chance. We support our fellow small business owners, help charitable organizations that help others, and offer a safe space for our POC and LQBTQ+ friends and family, and most importantly, anyone struggling with mental health. Our world is a scary place right now, and the only real way forward is together.
