We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ren Garczynski a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.

The first dollar I ever earned in my business was when I was in high school. I was commissioned by a band to build their website and their photos were terrible. So I took my little Sony 3.3 Megapixel Digital Camera at the time and did my first set of press photos. It was a surprise to me how much I enjoyed taking the photos as opposed to just doing the graphic design work. I fell in love with photography from then out. The band liked my photos so much that they called me up and asked for me to do their live concert photos. From there, an almost eighteen-plus years of my photography career began.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a professional photographer who fell into photography by accident. I got behind the camera after being in front of it for most of my teenage years as an aspiring actress and realized I loved it more. There was something about working with individuals and capturing them for whatever their purpose. While I’ll photograph almost anything, I have a special place in my heart for fashion and concert photography. As I’ve gotten older and my portfolio has evolved, as has my clients’ lives, I’ve branched off into family and lifestyle photography as well. If I had to classify my main clientele base it is a combination of music enthusiasts and fashion lovers, sprinkled with awesome families whom I’ve watched their kids grow up over the years.

I have been a professional photographer since 2005, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communications focusing on Photography. When working with me, my clients can expect a personalized and unique experience. I consult all of my potential clients before booking with me to ensure I’m the right fit for them. There are thousands of photographers out there and I think it is important to make sure people are investing with someone they’ll enjoy working with, as well as someone who can meet their needs and visualize their ideas. Furthermore, I pride myself on guiding my clients through their photography journey, offering enthusiastic support from booking to the session itself, and all post work as well. My goal is always to build a relationship with my clients so they can achieve their vision while working with me. My personalized touch, care, and attention have built me a client portfolio of people I have worked with for over a decade and it continues to grow each year. I am always excited to meet new potential clients who have a creative flare and desire to create something memorable with my services as a photographer.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been referrals. Most of my residual clients have come from someone who recommended me to them. I continue to grow my clientele by attending local networking events, workshops, and being active in community groups on social media. However, word of mouth and a good reference from a trusted friend or family member is worth its weight in gold. If someone had a great experience working with you and is excited to share about that session with another person, then you’ve already got a great foundation with someone new working with you. Never underestimate the power of having a good reputation with an excellent client experience.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the idea of selling myself short to get the client. Because I live in a heavily populated area with hundreds of other photographers, I felt I needed to keep my prices low, constantly offer free shoots, and provide free services. I burnt out several times over the beginning years because of this mindset. Eventually, I got myself a great mentor who was very direct with me when I was talking about my business practices. He said I was a better photographer than he was in the genre that I loved and that I needed to charge more. When I told him I was anxious about it, he sat me down and pulled up several photographers who were producing less quality work than I was but charging almost double what I did – and were getting the jobs and clients I dreamed about. What I have learned over the years is that if people want to work with you then they will travel to you and pay you your worth. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but have confidence in what your craft is and what you’re value is as a creative person.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.randomeyecandy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randomeyecandy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randomeyecandy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurengarczynski/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/randomeyecandy

Image Credits
Bands: Alder’s Hollow, Free Friends Models: Vivica Hallow, Sybilla Bakzaza, Rob Smallwood, ReAnna Evelynn, Ofelis Linh, and Roxana Hire