Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Derren Raser. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Derren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

I do, and I think it’s really important to build time into your work life for self-care, family and keeping yourself refreshed. It’s hard to keep creative juices flowing and to really be present for your clients if you’re always running on fumes. One thing I love about my work is that it has often presented opportunities to travel. When I do travel to an interesting place to work with an out of town client, I will sometimes plan some extra days on one end of my trip for vacation time. Planning a stand-alone vacation is always great, but when things are too busy for this, this is a great strategy for building in this important restorative time.

Derren, 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 am a photographer who is passionate about personal, creative storytelling. I run a boutique photography studio, The Rasers Photography, which specializes in wedding, lifestyle, small-business and brand photography. I’ve had the opportunity to work with countless awesome couples across the country, as well as many passionate small business owners and innovative brands.

My approach always starts with a personal connection with my client, and my aim is to both capture real, organic moments and to combine that with creative compositions and unique perspectives. Through this combination I always strive to deliver compelling images that are as emotionally connected as they are visually striking.

I think my unique creative vision helps my work stand apart from my competitors, and my flexibility and easy-to-work with personality helps couples and clients feel both confident and at ease.

The relationships that I’ve formed with couples and clients are what make my work so important and meaningful, and I can’t wait to bring that personal approach and excellence in my craft to your event, business, or brand.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

When I started my journey in photography I wasn’t initially thinking of it as a potential full-time job. I was first and foremost excited about the medium and its ability to capture stories, as well as the ways it could convey my own personality and creative vision. Though, as I grew in my ability, opportunities started to arise for me to start applying that passion to creating images for others. What inspired me to think more seriously about photography from a business perspective was my experience having my own wedding photographed by a talented friend and his wife, who were owners of a growing wedding photography business. They showed me that a passion for photography and connecting with people could also be the basis of a viable business model. I initially started reaching out to couples to offer free portrait sessions, just to build my portfolio. As more people came in contact with my images, work started trickling in. I still remember the very first paying wedding inquiry that arrived in my inbox. It was so exciting, because it felt kind of like magic – new income was suddenly a possibility, where there had been none before. After that first wedding, paired with investment in a more professional website, the inquiries grew. At that point I had been working a couple of other part-time jobs, and the real milestone came when I crunched the numbers and realized that I’d be making more money if I quit my part-time work and focused my energies solely on photography. That’s when I really feel like my business became official, and that was a major turning point for me professionally. Taking that leap of faith and really investing my full time and resources into my new business allowed things to really take off. I was also passionate about the work, and transitioning from these side hustles (which often drained me creatively), into doing something I loved full-time was great for me professionally, personally, and creatively.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is the autonomy. That autonomy manifests itself in so many wonderful ways. It allows me to be creative in the ways I want and need to be. It also gives me the flexibility to build my business and schedule around things that are meaningful to me, like family, work/life balance, and some of my many other passions. I think many of us have been a part of organizations where it feels like all the work you do mainly benefits some faceless, nebulous person at the very top. I love that owning your own business offers a different model than that, one in which the business choices you make on a daily basis affect and can benefit you directly. There’s also a certain flexibility in that, which can allow you to better recognize needs in your market and shift with them, without having to navigate all of the bureaucracy, red-tape, and boundaries that organizations often come along with. You can be as creative as you want to be about responding to your clients’ needs, and you can do it at the scale that best fits your own priorities and passions.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.therasers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therasersphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therasers/