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

Hi Ronni, thanks for joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

An important experience that I learned at a previous job, is they don’t care about you. If you were to drop dead at work, your job would be posted by the end of the day, and everyone will go on with their lives as usual. I worked in the automotive industry as an assembly worker. In the summer the temperature inside of the warehouse could reach 120°. I watcher people faint and be carried off the line. The managers we just yell at us to keep working and don’t stop the line from moving. All I could think is, they care more about hitting a certain number, than an actual human beings life. At that point I felt like a modern day slave on a plantation, so I quit to start my own business.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My interest in photography started at a very young age, around 12 or 13 years old. I would by disposable Kodak cameras to take pictures of friends at school and family. I like taking pictures because growing up, I didn’t have very many pictures of myself. My husband bought me my 1st professional camera in 2015 as a Christmas gift. Initially it was so I could take photos of our kids and our family. When I left my job in the auto industry in 2016 I tried to balance running a salon and a photography business. But things didn’t work out how I hoped with the salon, so I decided to focus on photography. It took me 3 years of taking clients for low pay to perfect my craft. In 2019, I took my 1st photography workshop and connect with my mentor. His name is Willym, and he gave me some knowledge that no other photographer was willing to give me. At that point, my photography career took off.
I offer a photography experience for my clients. I shoot lifestyle and studio photography mostly. What sets me apart from other photographers is, I create the vision my clients give me. I make a lot of my own props and I stage the scenes. My photography is art, and tells a story.
One thing I would like my followers and potential clients to know, if you are considering a photoshoot, DO IT!

When I was younger I didn’t have any family photos. My mother was always waiting for the timing to be right to have our photos taken, but my older brother passed away before we ever got the opportunity. So if it’s something you want to do, just go for it, because you never know if that opportunity will be snatched away from you.
It brings me joy taking photos of families, because I’m capturing memories that will last forever.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Earlier in my photography journey, I wish I had access to more workshops and meet ups for creatives.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What helped me build my reputation is always delivering for my clients. I make the whole process as easy as possible, from the scheduling process, to the delivery of my clients galleries. I use good business practices, and treat all of my clients like family. Majority of my clientele is word of mouth, and referrals from previous clients. Also, my work just speaks for itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: Rgphotography42.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/ronnigrand_photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronnithegrand

Image Credits
All photos taken by Ronni Grand Photography