We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Owais Rafique a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Owais, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Yes, photography became my full-time living, but the path to get there was anything but linear. I studied hotel management and spent over a decade working in the industry in sales and marketing. In 2011 I picked up my first DSLR after my son was born and photography became a serious passion alongside my career. When I was laid off due to the economy, that push became the full-time leap in 2012.
The years between 2012 and 2016 were the hustle years. Every genre, every opportunity, building a portfolio from scratch while creating multiple revenue streams. By 2017 to 2019 I was doubling revenue every year and winning industry recognition including winning the Nikon Canada 100th anniversary competition.
…Then COVID hit in 2020 and wiped out $100k in three weeks, losing all 174 clients during that time. But something unexpected came out of it. My chef friends were also out of work, so we would get together every week that year, they would cook, and I would shoot. No briefs, no clients, just food and light and genuine creativity in a tiny two bedroom condo. Something clicked at the end of that year… The work started getting beautiful in a different way, brands started noticing, and by 2021 I was recognized as a top 10 food photographer in Toronto. That pivot changed everything.
Work started coming in without any advertising. I realized I can’t do this alone and started thinking of scaling and re-branding as an agency as the demand grew. We started working with properties like St. Regis, W Hotels, Marriott Canada, Pernod Ricard, and got featured on the cover of Canada Food & Drink Magazine, pictures on large billboards, numerous articles with my images. I found the love of my life and re-married in October 2024
We decided In 2025 to relocate to Tampa to scale into the US market. The transition wasn’t without its challenges. I did lose some clients along the way, but I also gained bigger ones. I had to do what I did when I first started photography, knocking on doors, cold dm’s and emails, attending networking events. I always had that hustle in me and knew that failure was not an option. All I needed was consistency and a deep sense of belief and trust, if I had done it twice before, I knew I could do it again.
In 2026, all the groundwork, the door knocking, the relationship building, it’s starting to come to fruition now. There are some exciting projects on the horizon and I’m genuinely looking forward to what this year and beyond brings.
The biggest thing I’d tell my earlier self? Stop leading with the camera. Lead with the strategy. The skill gets you in the room. Understanding the business keeps you there.
Owais, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Owais Rafique, Founder and CEO Owais Rafique Agency (ORA), a luxury strategy, creative marketing and content production agency based in Tampa Bay with deep roots in Toronto and across North America.
My background is a bit unconventional for the creative world. I spent over a decade in hotel sales and marketing before photography entered the picture in 2011. That hospitality foundation is actually what sets ORA apart. I don’t just understand how to make a property look beautiful with pictures or videos, I understand how hotels and F&B operations think about revenue, guest experience, and brand positioning. When you combine that with over a decade of photography and videography experience, you get something most agencies simply can’t offer: a creative team that speaks the language of hospitality from both sides of the lens. That dual fluency is what gets us in the room for hotel openings and major brand moments, because we already understand what the property needs before the brief is written and create content that actually converts.
Our agency specializes in high-end photography, videography, food and prop styling, creative development, copy writing, and social media strategy, primarily for luxury hospitality and food and beverage brands. Our clients have included Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, Marriott, IHG, CBC Life and multiple CPG brands.
What I’m most proud of is the pivot. During COVID, with the events industry completely shut down, I started shooting food with chef friends just for the love of it. No briefs, no deadlines. That creative freedom led to some of the best work of my career and by 2021 I was recognized as a top 10 food photographer in Toronto. It reminded me that the best content comes from a genuine understanding of the subject, not just technical skill behind a lens.
What I want potential clients to know is this: ORA is not a vendor. We are a creative partner that connects visual storytelling to real business outcomes. The content we create is built to drive bookings, elevate brand perception, and justify premium pricing. That is the problem we solve and it is what gets us invited back. Our pricing reflects that value. Clients are not paying for a shoot day, they are investing in content that works harder and lasts longer than anything a generalist agency can produce.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The technical side of photography and videography has never been more accessible. Everyone has a powerful camera in their pocket and the tools to create have never been more democratized. But access to knowledge, real industry knowledge, the kind that takes years to earn, that is still a barrier for a lot of creatives trying to build something meaningful.
That is what drives me now. Beyond growing ORA, I want to pass on what I have learned across 25+ years of working in hospitality, sales, and creative production to the next generation of photographers, videographers, and creative entrepreneurs. The mistakes, the pivots, the hard lessons about running a business and not just being good at a craft. If someone with a phone and a vision can shortcut even a few years of the struggle because of something I shared, that matters to me.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
A few audiobooks have genuinely changed how I approach both business and life.
– $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi completely shifted how I think about pricing and value, the idea that your offer should be so good it feels like a mistake to say no.
– The New Gold Standard by Joseph Michelli, built around the Ritz-Carlton model, reinforced everything I believed about luxury service and why the details are never small.
– Atomic Habits by James Clear is one I come back to constantly for building consistency in work and life.
– The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy gave me a foundation for understanding how people make decisions and what actually drives someone to say yes.
– A Happy Pocket Full of Money by David Cameron Gikandi changed how I think about abundance and mindset, and how your relationship with money shapes everything around it.
– The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson is a reminder to stop chasing the wrong things and get clear on what actually matters.
– Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara is one that hits close to home given my background. It is a masterclass in what it means to go beyond what is expected and create experiences people never forget, I incorporate this into the service levels we provide to our clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.owaisrafique.com
- Instagram: @owais_rafique
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owaisrafiqueinc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owaisrafique
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OwaisRafiqueAgency
- Other: https://ca.pinterest.com/owaisrafiqueagency/
