Daniel Veres, a Jenkintown resident since 2021, can be found all over greater Glenside, sometimes with a large camera in his hands.
This year, he’s snapped the Hatboro Cruise Night, the Springfield Police & Fire Car Show, the Abington Police Pre-Night Out, Jenkintown’s 4th of July Parade, Glenside’s 4th of July Parade, the Downtown Glenside Foundation Food Truck Festival, the Save the Jenkintown Police rally, and the Keswick Car & Music Festival, among other local and semi-local events.
Veres has been taking pictures since he was a boy growing up in Northeast Philadelphia. He spent the first six months of life in Guatemala until his adopted parents traveled to Central America to finalize the adoption and bring him home to America.
“When I felt like I needed a change from Philly life, I decided to move to suburbs, first in Huntingdon Valley. I’m still here,” he said. “I’m living the American dream as I interpret it.”
In June 2023, Veres turned an art form slash hobby into a profession with the debut of Hyacinth Studios LLC.
“When I was a kid, my mother had a camcorder and a film camera and she let me play with it. I was always fascinated by the device,” Veres said. “She developed the film for me and let me have fun with it, in terms of display, framing, footage, and so on.”
He says the art form can be a form of therapy and most enjoys capturing stories of other people’s lives. That’s been the main focus of his work for Hyacinth Studios.
“I really enjoy sharing photos I’ve taken of people. For example, I handed over printed photos of Madeleine Dean recently. She was pictured with the Phillie Phanatic and Governor Josh Shapiro,” he said. “I value connections and words matching actions, honesty, transparency. That’s why I say I capture moments with an electronic eye.”
Check out some samples:
The company offers multiple services under one name, and the 10-year plan is to expand overseas.
“I still want to work with local businesses, but ultimately, I’d like to return to working on an international level. They say, ‘Reach for the sky.’ I say, ‘Shoot for the stars.’ It starts with me reconnecting with people I’ve come across socially and professionally,” he said. “I’ve known many of them for years, and I’ll offer them my services in person.”
Among those services is updating websites for small businesses and a connection to the fashion industry. The international connections have come from Veres’ first side hustle: Youtubing.
“When I was 21, I was studying psychology in college. I wanted to be a counselor for children who were abused and neglected. I wasn’t the best student, so I started uploading videos to Youtube,” he said.
Within six months, his Youtube channel was eligible to be monetized.
“As I continued, I began to network. I started to find my footing in terms of content, and I started to connect with people, non-profits, and charity fundraisers around the world. I was invited to join a 48-hour Minecraft fundraiser, and then I was asked to come back as a Master of Ceremonies for the charity livestream. I was then asked to serve as a talent recruiter. I started going around the country with a Minecraft convention. In Seattle, I had the biggest opportunity of my ten-year career: I was invited to be a co-host of the Minecraft livestream,” Veres said.
His channel can be found here. You can check out a sample of his work below:
Jenkintown was alluring to Veres for its youthfulness.
“I wanted to find a younger crowd and a place that was poppin’, so to speak. I was more reserved before, I was working on my mental health, so I kept my head down and stayed in my lane. Since then, I have ultimately tried to be my authentic self,” he said.
Part of that journey has been upping his cardio routine. Veres competed in the Bethany Christian Services of Jenkintown 5K on Saturday, October 5. He had originally signed up for the two-mile walk.
“The date was changed from the spring to this fall, so I spent the summer training for it. Weightlifting, running, swimming, spinning and cycling,” Veres said.
Between training and Youtubing, he still finds time to capture Glenside’s next big event.
“It’s personal and intimate, and I’ve learned that when you discover your voice, you can share a positive message,” he said.
For more on Veres’ photography around town, you can check out Hyacinth Studio’s website, Facebook page, and Instagram.
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Photos: Hyacinth Studios LLC, Daniel Veres