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

Alright, Jeff thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success to most people seems to gravitate to money or profit. Yes, those things are important and certainly rewards for a job well done. But my philosophy is to concentrate on your craft, and be the best in your field at what you do … the benefits will always follow. Benefits manifest themselves as money or profit, but more importantly, repeat business, or referrals will be very valuable. Just because someone has a lot of money in the bank, doesn’t mean that they’re “successful.” Yes, that’s great, but the balance between money-in-the-bank, and competency is a greater definition of “success.”

Jeff, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Photography has always been a passion. It began with the process of capturing something on film, processing it, and rendering it out in the darkroom. I took that passion and found myself at Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, pursuing a degree in photography. Not only was it great to graduate from such a prestigious school, but the mere fact of achieving a college degree was equally important. From that moment, I became a “freelancer.” Is that good or bad?? Well, I always looked at it as good. Chasing the next opportunity has always kept me honest, and hungry. And along the way, the technical changes in photography (film to digital, photoshop, the internet, and the importance of social media) have kept me always wanting to grow, and emerge. Many people have entered this field via the digital era and didn’t know how to craft images with a camera and film. Those attributes (camera & film) have allowed me to grow into a better digital artist. Taking my art, and commercializing it into a profit-making entity is the big challenge. Upon moving to Phoenix, I have aspired to be at the top of my field … whether or not I’m there, that’s a fact that’s determined by my peers, and audience. Perhaps the most difficult thing to master, in any field I guess, is the marketing and promotional aspects of your business. In my case, marketing something like commercial photography is challenging, to say the least. I use email marketing, social media, 3rd party websites, and an agent to get my work to the marketplace. Photography is a field that is very competitive, and obviously visual. In fact, if you’re a visual artist of any kind, you must get it out to the world to be seen. The days of showing your portfolio directly to buyers and editors are over. Therefore, adjusting your marketing tools, and making changes constantly, is the way to keep yourself relevant. In photography, you’re only as good as your last shot!

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

In the late ’90s, I was asked to bid on an annual report for Pharmacia / Upjohn… a major pharmaceutical company. They were based in New Jersey/New York, and they were looking for a photographer to shoot editorial stories regarding customers/patients who used their products. We were to travel all over the USA and Canada to do so, and I found myself competing against New York-based shooters. We went through several stages of consideration, and I found myself as a finalist for the project. At that point, they were asking the finalists to submit a biography about themselves. My wife, Lisa, helped me with this, and we submitted it. The president of Pharmacia/Upjohn was the ultimate decision maker … he reviewed portfolios along the way, and by the end of the process, I was awarded the project (ultimately because of my biography). That reality has never been the criteria for winning a piece of business, since! Here’s the biography that won them over:

Jeff Noble is a commercial photographer who helps everyday people celebrate life. His keen eye, infectious sense of humor, and delirious passion for practicing his craft all work together magically to capture unforgettable images of individuals of all ages and from all walks of life, doing what they do best … just being themselves.
Jeff’s vivid style and ability to tell a powerful story with a single, indelible image have put him in demand with some of the world’s most successful companies. His striking images have helped build such notable brands as AT&T, Ford Motor Company, Prudential Life Insurance, and The Quaker Oats Company, among others.
Jeff is a 1983 graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He cherishes every moment with his wife, Lisa, his travel partner, and the love of his life.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Personal growth as an artist and storyteller is perhaps more important than anything else. I have been through many trials and tribulations over the years, and have tried to get better at not only the technical aspect of my photography but more importantly, communicating a message or concept through my imagery. If my work does not communicate itself to the outside reader, or 3rd party, it is not a success. My work has emerged and grown over the years by thinking about those individuals who are consuming my photographs, and most importantly supporting the company or agency that is commissioning me to help promote their business or client. Of course, if you are good at that, or make that your goal … the profit and money will always follow in spades.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jeffnoblepictures.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffnoblepictures
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.noble.121
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-noble-4a84761

Image Credits
Copyright, all rights reserved, Jeffrey D. Noble