We were lucky to catch up with Victoria Roth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Victoria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

It may sound cheesy, but a lot of who I am comes from the character of my Grandmother. I was her only grandchild and was fortunate enough to spend quality time regularly with her until her passing in my mid-20s. She was always learning something new and was the most creative, resilient person I’ve ever known. She was a songwriter, poet, painter, pianist, graphic designer, and photographer. Because of her, I’ve dabbled with every one of those crafts and finally focused most of my time on photography and graphic design.

Beyond those interests and hobbies though, my Grandmother genuinely loved meeting and learning about new people. She also loved showcasing other people’s talents through various means, including photography. When I started my own portrait photography business, the passion came so naturally that I didn’t think about the connection initially. I can see now though that just about everything I’ve done creatively has stemmed in part from what my Grandmother instilled in me from a young age.

She sought excellence in what she did, but she never prioritized success or considered any “thing” to be more important than people. She also never tried to be anything that she wasn’t. I think being happy with who you are and fearlessly giving that to the world is true success.

Now that you’ve heard the long-winded answer, the mission behind Victoria Roth Photography is to carry on a legacy of creativity, authenticity, and promoting the unique qualities and talents of others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in South Carolina and lived there until moving to Chicago in my mid-20s. I studied Marketing and Graphic Design in college and worked in marketing agencies during my early career. In those roles, I realized I was more interested in the creative process and the ins and outs of a brand than some of the traditional marketing pieces. I had the pleasure of working alongside phenomenal creative directors while I worked closely with clients, but I wasn’t hands-on with the creative work, which was a missing link for me.

For as long as I can remember, the music industry has fascinated me, particularly the Nashville independent scene. When I first started learning about graphic design as a young teen, I remember thinking that designing merchandise and album artwork for music artists would be a dream job. Fast forward to 2020, right before the pandemic hit, I picked up a camera and started asking friends to model for portraits – just as a hobby. I fell in love with the creative process of portrait photography then. I also realized that this type of work provided synergy with my interest in working with clients and developing relationships.

My husband and I relocated to Nashville later in 2020, and I continued asking people to model for portraits. This time, though, I was reaching out to local musicians and singer-songwriters that I admired. As difficult as this year was for artists (and everyone), one silver lining (for me, at least) was that everyone had a little extra time on their hands and still needed to keep up with content on social media, etc. I began building relationships and friendships with some of these artists and was able to build a portrait photography portfolio with a focus on creative portraits for musicians. So much credit for this goes to the kindness of this community in Nashville – for insanely creative people to be willing to give their time to a stranger who randomly DM’d them on Instagram. :)

Everything came full circle to my teenage dreams when a few artists asked me to create album artwork for their new singles. This process was fulfilling and creatively energizing. I would receive a new single to listen to and brainstorm visuals that would speak to the song. I would then scout for locations and settings that we could shoot in, and we would set up a portrait session with the goal of producing an image for the artwork. Once we decided on an image, I would design the album art using that photo, typography, and other design elements. On top of everything I already loved about portrait photography, I realized this was the type of work I wanted to focus on.

After a couple years in this inspiring city, I am continuing to develop relationships within the music industry and honing my craft. The mission of my business is to help music artists develop and articulate their brands visually, to represent themselves authentically while creating meaningful and long-lasting connections with their audiences. Simply put, I create art for artists. I offer portrait photography, album artwork design, and banner image development for artists’ social and streaming platforms.

If you’re looking to create unique content that represents you and your brand, I would love to learn more about you!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This isn’t necessarily a lesson, but I’ve had to unlearn the act of comparison to other photographers, designers, and artists. Everyone’s path is unique, and what works for some may not work for others. The same goes for how long it takes to achieve a certain milestone, how many Instagram followers you have, and more. It’s not going to be the same for everyone, and there isn’t a certain data point within those that measures success. Even if it did, that “success” doesn’t mean you’ll be happy.

One artist I really enjoy uses the phrase “Purpose over popularity.” I think that’s a great motto. If you lose yourself and your purpose while trying to become popular, what’s the point in the end?

I think we all know now that relationships with social media can be challenging and, at times, brutal psychologically. We see the best everyone has to offer on these platforms but don’t get a true picture of all the work, tears, and fears that lie behind what was worthy enough to be posted. It may seem obvious, but it’s helpful to remember that. It’s also helpful for me to take time away from social media when the negativity outweighs the inspiration and fun of it. Instagram is actually one of the primary sources of clients for me, but I’ve learned that there has to be a balance.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is letting myself be seen for who I really am and enjoying the process of creativity – not just the output or the validation it could bring. For my business specifically, I find a lot of fulfillment in simply getting to know what my clients care about most and trying to create a visual that represents their craft well. I’m really grateful that I’m able to create art that hinges on creating connections with other people.

Contact Info:

• Website: victoriarothphotography.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/victoriarothphotography
• Facebook: facebook.com/victoriarothphotography

Image Credits
Victoria Roth Photography