By Rhonwyn Learner on August 13, 2025
When life threw Dan Jahn a curveball that ended his gymnastics career, he transformed his setback into a journey to explore the many opportunities that life has to offer, eventually building the ultimate platform for helping others achieve their creative dreams through PhotoSpace, Denver’s most comprehensive photography and video rental studio.
At 18, Dan Jahn was a competitive gymnast with Olympic aspirations. During a routine floor exercise, the unthinkable happened—the floor broke beneath him. Instead of launching into his aerial routine, he crashed sideways, fracturing his C3 vertebrae and ending his gymnastics dreams in an instant.
“That pretty much set me on a path for the rest of my life,” Dan reflects. “Do what you want to do, enjoy it while it lasts, don’t get too attached to things. You never know when it can be taken away, so don’t stress, stress less, smile more.”
This philosophy became the foundation for everything Dan would build in his entrepreneurial journey, including PhotoSpace, Denver’s premier photography and video rental facility that has been serving the creative community since 2008.
Born in Sri Lanka while his parents served in the Peace Corps, Dan’s early exposure to service and community would later influence his approach to business. After working as a commercial photographer for years—shooting everything from fashion and beauty to food campaigns—Dan found himself constantly traveling to other cities because Denver lacked the high-end resources he needed.
“I was traveling nonstop to other places because I didn’t have the resources available in Denver to do what I wanted to do and needed to do,” Dan explains. “So I decided to build it.”
But Dan didn’t just build a studio for himself. He created PhotoSpace as a rental facility, recognizing that other photographers and videographers faced the same challenges. His vision was to provide access to equipment and facilities that would otherwise be impossible for most creatives to afford.
What sets PhotoSpace apart isn’t just the impressive inventory of professional gear, though that’s certainly part of the appeal. The studio houses equipment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, including a Phase One camera system valued at $180,000 that rents for just $800 per day, and professional strobe lighting systems worth $20,000 that rent for $100 daily.
“Most independent photographers simply can’t buy that kind of equipment,” Dan notes. “But we have it, and we make it accessible.”
The studio itself represents Dan’s commitment to excellence. Every square inch was custom-designed to function as a high-end commercial photography space—from the walls and grip gear to the client lounge. It’s a far cry from the “empty warehouse” approach some studios take.
PhotoSpace serves two primary customer bases, each with unique needs. Local photographers and videographers benefit from access to professional-grade equipment and studio space that would otherwise require massive capital investment. For traveling professionals coming to shoot in Colorado’s stunning Rocky Mountain locations, PhotoSpace provides a crucial service.
“Photographers traveling here want to shoot in the mountains,” Dan explains. “They can fly out with their team, pick up a van load of professional gear here, and head to Aspen for their shoot. It’s much more efficient and professional than trying to transport all that equipment.”
The studio has become the go-to resource for commercial photography and videography in Denver, with Dan noting, “If you’re going to do a high-end professional commercial shoot in Denver, we’re the space.”
What truly distinguishes PhotoSpace from other rental facilities is Dan’s approach to client relationships. Drawing from his background in gymnastics, where success was measured by personal achievement rather than beating others, Dan has built a business philosophy centered on collaboration and support.
“There are a lot of people in the world of commercial photography and videography who gatekeep their knowledge,” Dan observes. “That’s not what my place is about. I’m not a gatekeeper. I have a huge desire for everyone to be able to massively explore their talent.”
This philosophy extends to Dan’s hands-on involvement with every rental. “I come with the studio. I’m free,” he tells clients. “If you’re coming in here to do a shoot and you’re not quite sure how to do it, or you’ve got a vision in mind, ask me. I will help you do that.”
Dan’s commitment to supporting others extends beyond the studio walls. He regularly volunteers at soup kitchens, teaches photography classes to Boys and Girls Clubs, and works with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and elementary schools to introduce young people to photography and creativity.
“If you can find the time to go to the gym, you can find the time to go help someone else,” Dan believes.
This mentorship approach is woven into PhotoSpace’s operations. Dan regularly works with photography interns and helps photographers transition between specialties. Currently, he’s mentoring Sabrina Richardson, a wedding photographer making the leap to commercial work.
In nearly two decades of operation, PhotoSpace has hosted some truly memorable shoots. From a Gorilla Glue commercial featuring an actual gorilla (“most animals are available for commercials—it’s quite expensive, and you have to have staggering insurance policies”) to a week-long shoot for a “Guns and Girls UK” calendar that required armed security due to the weapons involved, Dan has seen it all.
But perhaps more meaningful are the everyday moments when photographers discover new creative possibilities in the studio. Dan’s favorite projects often involve helping clients achieve visions they weren’t sure were possible.
As PhotoSpace rounds its second decade, Dan’s vision is expanding beyond equipment rental toward community building. He recently launched a membership program designed to create a tight-knit community of 20-30 photographers and videographers who support each other’s work.
“If I get 25 members, and the studio becomes completely self-sustaining on memberships, I don’t even have to think about income,” Dan explains. “Then I can start plugging hours in to say, ‘oh, the studio’s not rented at all this coming weekend. That’s a student weekend. They can come in and make art at no charge.'”
This vision includes developing a creative photo mentor program specifically for fine art photography, enabling Denver’s artistic community to use PhotoSpace for creative exploration and growth.
As artificial intelligence transforms the photography industry, Dan maintains his characteristic optimism about technological change. Drawing parallels to historical shifts from illustration to photography and from film to digital, he sees AI as simply another tool for creative enhancement.
“The people who will be ultimately successful as photographers and videographers are the ones who learn to use AI in their workflow to enhance their own creativity,” Dan observes. “It’s just a tool like anything else. And you’ve got to adopt it.”
While PhotoSpace remains Dan’s hyper-local Denver focus, his entrepreneurial spirit has led him to build several other businesses. He’s a leadership coach working with senior executives globally, an author of a book titled “Leadership in the Age of AI” releasing soon, and owns a luxury Airbnb management company called Corvus Homes, plus Pyxartis, which creates high-end fine art reproductions.
When not working, Dan takes full advantage of Colorado’s outdoor lifestyle. His activities include hiking, mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, rafting, skiing, snowboarding, paragliding, hang gliding, and wing jumping—a testament to his “do what you love while you can” philosophy.
For commercial photographers, videographers, ad agencies, and corporations looking to create compelling visual content in Denver or the Colorado Rockies, PhotoSpace offers something unique: not just access to professional equipment and facilities, but partnership with someone genuinely invested in their creative success.
“This is a business, absolutely, but it’s also a passion,” Dan emphasizes. “I want people to be creative. I want people to create really cool things, and I’d love it if they did it here, so I’ll help.”
In an industry that can be competitive and guarded, Dan Jahn has built something different—a space where creativity flourishes through collaboration, where professional dreams become achievable through accessibility, and where the next generation of visual storytellers can find both the tools and the guidance they need to succeed.
PhotoSpace is located in Denver, Colorado. For more information about studio rental, equipment rental, and membership opportunities, visit photospacedenver.com.
Phone: 303.284.6057
Email: hello@photospacedenver.com
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