We caught up with the brilliant and insightful RJ Robles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, RJ thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The fear of missing out (F.O.M.O.) or the hype generated when a new product is released can make many of us think the gear we have been using or have made a livelihood using has now suddenly become a relic. The same with trying to keep up with the latest trends or popular products. For me it was the peak design travel tripod. I already had an acceptable carbon tripod that weighed in half of what the peak design carbon version it did. But relented during a “sale” taking it down to 2/3rds its regular price. For others the peak design could be great but for I who rarely used a tripod to begin with, it was a wasted use of funds that would have paid for a trip or few creative shoots.
Go into every investment with a clear understanding of what you expect to get in return. If the investment will give you that return, weigh the pros and cons of that action and if there are more cons it’s likely not an efficient investment. I know many of my friends tend to just buy gear. Thankfullygear, I started with zooms. After years of rating and organizing photos within lightroom classic I can tell what my preferred focal lengths are for a given scenario. I prefer telefocal lenses for their versatility and purchased primes in the focal lengths I most commonly shoot to deal with low light.. Trial and error make great teachers, just try to avoid doing so when it’s your funds at risk. By this I mean make friends with store employees and fellow creatives. You’ll likely be able to try what you’re searching for and take those files home and really see if the value proposition is worth the expense you’ll have to pay in time or finances.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Raymond but go by RJ out of convenience. I’ve been into photography for as long as I can recall. I was given a red clear skinned film point and shoot in elementary school and would excitedly get a roll each week and my parents would process that roll. Like most kids growing up it was more about documenting life, the moments, the people to save those memories and emotions for later. It was around 2008 when I purchased my first DSLR, an old then Nikon D80, a friend of mine purchased a D90, and it was the push I needed to try. I was hooked, the real draw was being able to show the people around me what I saw. At times we can be so self critical that we are unable to see the good in ourselves. It was a lovely feeling getting to see a friend who normally disliked photos take what you captured of them and make it a prominent photo by printing it or using it online.
Fast forwarding through 16 years, I’ve captured events, sports, proms, engagements, travels, portraits, cosplays, lifestyle, brands, and intimates. I craved experience and learned through practical means, and queries to professional photographer friends when given the change. Photography is an art, and art in itself is subjective. There’s no true universal acceptance of one style, just an appreciation of liking what you like.
The clients I facilitate are normally beginners with little to no modeling experience or just normal individuals who have never worked in the industry. I work to put them at ease by building a rapport with them. The goal is to make them focus on the lens less, and bring more out of the person that you would see in their everyday life. As you speak and that trust is built, you help them pose in ways that seem natural to them. While each photographer has their own style of doing this, the first 5 mins are crucial in developing that trust. It’s also important to ask what is the purpose of the photo, what emotion or feeling are we looking to show or invoke. When you’re shooting for yourself you are the client and have all the control but when shooting for a brand or a model, you have to think what would best suit their needs and be okay with changing your style to work with them.
Presently I am a portrait, fashion, event, and boudoir photographer. People have been a constant subject for me to focus on while working. I collaborate with clients to help them fine tune their vision and create boards to help guide them to their ideal image. I love teaching both models and photographers things I’ve picked up along the way to inspire development and growth.
At recent workshops I tend to become more teacher than shooter, helping to lighten the mood and teach both photographers and models how to interact with each other. Ways to model or shoot to help flatter the subject, and offer different perspectives on what I see to add more tools to their tool box. No one way is right or wrong, just some methods are more tailored for a certain emotion, feeling, or type of photography. The fun of photography is trying new ways and constantly experimenting and sharing the joy creating.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Much throughout this creative journey I’ve run into many teachers and preachers showing their ideal way things should be done. Some are more heavy handed then others. Brad, owner of Sandboxx Studios in Ann Arbor and a friend of mine eloquently put it, art is subjective which is what makes it beautiful, what I find captivating may not be for others and vice versa. Much throughout this process I’ve been learning different perspectives, how others view the world and their techniques. I also try not to sway too much towards viewing content similar to a shoot I am about to do. This is to try to keep a fresher perspective and use what I’ve seen as inspiration rather than plagiarism.
Many of the rules change when you consider who the end customer is. If it’s yourself, do what you like, the product is for you, do what makes you happy. But if it’s for a client or a brand, you have to also consider what would best represent their image within the scope of your abilities. I believe the greatest gift for creatives is being able to bring out emotions using our work. Think of each technique you learn as another tool for your kit, each rule one to be used or broken, and each experience a chance to create and experiment. I’ve met many people who state they’re experts and their word is law, but the world is large and vast, with it constantly growing and changing to me it just means you’ve stopped learning. I’m opposed to the notion of knowing everything and will gladly keep an open mind to new ideas and techniques. It’s a common thing to see us put down others rather than find ways to compliment another. Always include a positive with any criticism and remember why you started your creative journey and keep the passion alive.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Photography like most businesses is a hustle. Many non creatives are used to an hourly paid job where they work x amount of hours and get x income. This payment model does not seamlessly translate to trades or creative work like photography. This notion negates the sunk costs into equipment, time spent on perfecting your craft so you can create headshots that would normally take 30 mins into 10 min shoots. Time is a finite commodity, if a mechanic told you they could get your car out faster for a higher rate you’d likely be more understanding of that since it’s more tangible and relatable.
Within creative work the effort doesn’t start when they arrive on location. It began when they first started shooting, learning lessons on the way through trial and error. When you contact them, they are likely pre planning ideas, checking the weather, and helping you figure out what wardrobe or outfit would suit the look you’d like to convey. Photographers quickly go from “picture clicker” to stylist, creative directors, outfit coordinators, event coordinators, etc. Then after the photos are taken the processing begins. Culling the photos to the ones that are the best of a set given the stipulations of the output, getting feedback from clients on selections, to edits, touch ups and follow ups.
Photography to me is a team dynamic where the photographer and talent/client/brand work together to convey a story or an emotion that is memorable. It never just starts when they arrive nor does it end after they pack up the camera. The work and effort are extended from the initial call to the final hand off of photos. There’s so much more that goes into this creative process than simply “taking a picture”.
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