We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joshua Kerwood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joshua below.

Joshua, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I came up with Väter Photo mostly due to my German heritage, but also for my personal love of being a father. I have been a parent since I was only 20 years old. Fatherhood is the only thing that I have ever done in my life that I’ve stuck with for longer than 10 years, second only to practicing the art of Photography.

Väter is the German word for Father, and having such a love for both parenthood and photography, it seemed only fitting that they both title my business endeavors. Also being a 2nd generation American I feel blessed to be able to pursue my dream with Photography. My Grandmother emigrated from Germany to the United States after WWII, and created a massive family that I am proud to have come from.

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

I am a very passionate individual when it comes to my work. I have been handling cameras since I was just 7 years old, and have been in love with the medium of photography ever since. Over the years I have worked in many different career fields, from healthcare to business management, until realizing that photography was indeed my true calling. In 2017 I started a small photography business that has taken me all over the United States as well as Mexico. With ample experience in many different genres of photography, I have taken my talents everywhere that I possibly can, to anyone who could possibly need them. From family portraits and weddings, to boudoir and artistic portraiture, to landscape and astrophotography, to infrared and full spectrum photography.

One thing that I am incredibly proud of is our client satisfaction and the rate of referrals we receive – most of our business comes from those who know someone who’s hired us in the past. Word-of-mouth referrals and incredible reviews have taken my business to such heights that I now have a team of talented professionals to help me deliver the services that we love to provide. I simply couldn’t do it all alone, and none of it would be possible at all without the amazing support we have received from our clients, neighbors, family, and friends over the years.

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

I’m not sure if there’s anything that I appreciate more than someone simply appreciating what I can create. I know it sounds cliche but any artist can attest to what I am getting at; seeing your creation come to fruition, and then seeing the adoration for that creation, is an unstoppable kind of fuel to continue the drive to create more.

I have been an artist for as long as I can remember, and there isn’t a single medium that I can convey my artistic vision more effectively than with a camera. These days the medium of photography is available to more people than it has ever been in human history. Being able to stand out from the crowd and have my work appreciated is immensely gratifying.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Back when the COVID lockdowns first started happening I was still working a regular job as a full-time business manager. The company I worked for never had any closures due to the pandemic, and we were forced to work as usual throughout the entire lockdown period. At that time my photography business was still very much just a side hustle, but it was what I was really wanting to dedicate my time to.

After figuring out the math of my hourly wage versus what I could make in a week just using my camera, I had a long conversation with my wife about quitting my job to pursue photography full-time. My mental health was also struggling and it was the necessary change that needed to happen.

I did something I had never done before and took the plunge – I left my full-time working career behind to pursue my own endeavors with my art and turning my love for photography into a business. I have been doing it full-time for over 2 years now and couldn’t be happier about the decision. I wish I had made that jump many years ago.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.VaterPhoto.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/VaterPhoto
• Facebook: Facebook.com/VaterPhoto
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-kerwood-95a08276