We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Russ and Trudeen Walter and Peterson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Russ and Trudeen below.

Hi Russ and Trudeen, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

Two letters…AI. It allows endless creative possibilities and it brings these capabilities to the masses. Various camps exist, some embrace AI, others eschew it. I asked an AI service to write about the good and the bad photographers see in AI technology. Here’s a sample of what AI wrote for me:

One of the most exciting aspects of AI in photography is its ability to generate unique and imaginative ideas. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of visual data, providing photographers with inspiration, new perspectives, and unconventional approaches to their craft.

However, while photographers can benefit greatly from AI, there is a legitimate concern that AI technology could potentially replace human photographers and take away clients. With advancements in AI, there are emerging tools and platforms that allow individuals and businesses to generate high-quality images without the need for a professional photographer.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Trudeen is the true original photography fanatic. She has a mind boggling variety of pictures borne from the constant itch for doing literally anything but sitting still! She also took may pictures of her large family while she toured the country on endless road trips. This love for photography rubbed off on Russ. Eventually we decided to start TnR Photography in 2018 to see where it took us.

Our brand is “showcasing your authenticity”. Trudeen makes clients comfortable with conversation, Russ is goofy and makes clients laugh with, or at him. Our clients relax and that’s when we get the most natural and genuine moments….that’s what we do best! We do a variety of portraits such as couples, engagements, models, seniors and families. Starting in 2024, we’re planning to offer a limited number of elopement/small wedding sessions. Small, intimate weddings fit our personalities and also marries us (see what I did there?) with the clientele we work with most often.

We’re proud of our improvements the last couple years, especially with posing and prompting. We invested in better lighting to get amazing shots even in difficult scenarios. We are obsessed with nailing shots that give clients eye popping results!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Let’s just say Russ is a recovering perfectionist. He’d arrive at a photo shoot and have a number of preconceived plans and ideas. While it’s very wise to plan, it’s also good to go with the flow and shoot what works best vs what Russ thought would work best. Russ discovered how important it is to capture the in-between moments, whether that’s a candid shot of prom goers goofing off walking between locations, or a family joking with one another. When their guard is down and they forget the camera is even there, magic happens!

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

We think the quality of our photographs has improved year after year. Word of mouth is still very relevant in addition to social media presence. Although we really don’t put a lot of emphasis on social media, I guess we’re old school! While we love to see our progression, we aren’t complacent and think “we’ve made it”. This pushes us to try new things and grow our brand. We truly believe creating stunning photos will drive more clientele to us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://russeleven.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: @tnrphotography2018
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tnrphotography2018