When you see the work of Denver-based photographer Lea Golis, you may be struck by how painterly her subjects look, especially with the natural contrast between bright light and dramatic shadows. As it turns out, her love of painting informs her approach to lighting her subjects. “I always think about painting when I photograph regarding colors and the play of shadow and light,” Golis says. “My favorite painters are Giovanni Boldini and Pierre Bonnard; with Boldini especially, I love his interpretive paint strokes where even the shadows radiate with energy.” Having studied studio arts at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Golis went on to an internship at New York–based nonprofit Aperture Foundation and then took on a senior photo editor position at New York magazine. “The experience at New York really shaped me, working under photography director Jody Quon and learning how to visualize a story and creatively think outside the box,” she says. Now, Golis has set out on her own as a freelance photographer, capturing the personalities of her subjects through candid moments but with a masterful sense of color and lighting. “My work is very rooted in the feminine, and I’d like to explore using that perspective in traditionally more masculine fields—industry, sports and even politics,” she says. “But for me, the most important thing is to keep inspired and focus on adapting in a changing industry. I just want to keep making pictures I feel passionate about and working with people that feel the same passion.”