Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kevin Rigby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kevin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.
The funny thing about the start of my business, I didn’t even know I was starting a business. In May 2020, we received a grant at my full-time job to purchase new camera gear so that we could transition our content online to meet the needs of our audience during the pandemic. I began my employment with Youth to Youth, a leadership and drug-prevention organization fresh out of high school in 2007. At Youth to Youth I have always been a do whatever it takes kind of employee. Put a problem in front of me and I’ll give you the solution. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, that’s just what I did. With everything moving virtual, there was a need for me to learn how to create high level photo and video content so that our programming would remain consistent. After receiving the grant to buy new gear, with nothing but time on my hands, that’s just what I did. There had always been cameras lying around at work and home but for some reason the newness and time to just dedicate to learning excited me.
I began attending YouTube University and stumbled across the g.o.a.t photographer/YouTuber, Peter McKinnon. His channel made me want to jump out there and try new things, use this new camera that we have, and make cool, fun, and engaging content for my job. I spent the next year learning everything I could about our new Sony a7iii. Working from home also freed me up to try things I just wouldn’t have tried being stuck in an office building tied to a desk. My office building was my house and my desk was wherever I happened to be, and I always made sure to have the camera on me. This led to silly videos with my co-workers and students that we worked with, free photo and video shoots with my friends, photo hikes with my family, long-form video content, and any excuse to be outside. It was more than just work for me, I had found a new passion.
On June 12, 2021, my family and I decided to attend the Just Friends “Juneteenth-ish Block Party” that our friend Bern was DJing in downtown Columbus. Before heading out, I decided to grab the camera and figured I’d get some cool shots of Bern doing his thing. At this point, I was pretty confident taking pictures, I even looked like I knew what I was doing. My wife, kids, and I were having a great time hanging out at the event, I was snapping pictures of them having fun when the event host approached me in a panic, she explained that her photographer had not shown up for the event and saw me with a camera and wondered if I would be able to take some photos to help them capture the moment, and the kicker, the cherry on top, the icing on the cake…she said, “and I’ll pay you.”
60 pictures and $60 later I was a professional photographer. My whole mindset shifted at that event, I wasn’t just capturing moments for practice or trial and error anymore, I was capturing a moment that mattered to someone else. I didn’t go to that event expecting to get paid, I even shrugged off the payment initially and just said that I would “get what I could” while I was there. But the fact that she was willing to send me a little cash for a few pictures I took meant everything. Shortly after receiving that CashApp they asked if I could photograph their next event, a Garden Party in the heart of the city. That was the last bit of motivation I needed. Now it was time to start pouring money that I didn’t have into my own camera gear!
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.
A little bit about me, my name is Kevin Rigby, a loving husband and father, and a pretty good friend. I have always found myself in positions where I am working to elevate others. After finding a new passion in photography I saw this as the ultimate way to elevate someone else, who they are, and what they care about. Because of this, I decided to officially start my business, Rigby Media in 2022. Rigby Media currently specializes in event photography and videography to showcase the brilliance of others. I may not have that many years under my belt as a photographer and videographer but I have been coordinating large-scale events at Youth to Youth International for 16 years. Understanding the ins and outs of an event puts me in a position to make sure I am always in the right place at the right time. This helps me stand out in a very crowded market where anyone with a camera can be an event photographer.
I would say that I am most proud of my ability to create. I love ideation and just starting with nothing to develop something amazing. This will inevitably help me to grow my business and brand over the next handful of years. 2022 and 2023 were all about event photos and videos for Rigby Media. Event photo and video has been a great way for me to meet people and begin working with them on their creative projects. This is where my real passion lies, I love working with people who believe in themselves and need that professional look to showcase their brand or talents. If you were to ask me what services I provide, I guess I would ask what you need. There are so many different pieces of content that can be created behind a camera and it is my job to meet the need!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
People are the mission that drives my creative journey. That seems like an easy answer for a photographer to say but it’s the truth. I don’t just want to photograph anyone, I don’t just want to do video recaps for any old event. I want the people to matter, I want the events to matter, and I want to capture moments in time that matter to someone today, tomorrow, and in the future. Does that mean I won’t take someone’s money for a normal headshot or a birthday party recap video right now, of course not, but the goal is certainly one day to be shooting important people and significant events. I am energized and driven when I can be a part of something that I can just feel is special, those moments bring out my creativity and make me want to work harder. I have always been a selfless more behind-the-scenes type of person that’s why finding my home behind the camera has been such a great journey for me up to this point.
I am also very engaged in helping my kids find their creative passions. Knowing that they are always watching me and how I move keeps me on top of my game. If they are watching it means that I need to be working with the right people and on the right projects. I did not grow up in a family of entrepreneurs so I always thought it would be pretty cool to pass down a business to my kids someday. It would be amazing if that business was thriving and it’d be even better if that business stood for something. That’s why I chose Rigby Media as the name, I could come up with something more creative, something more hip with the times, but with my kids in mind, I chose to be timeless. My seven-year-old asked for a camera for Christmas this year, so looks like Rigby Media will be all hers!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has just been putting myself out there with my camera strapped across my chest. If I am shooting an event or just out taking pictures someone asks 100% of the time if I…take headshots, do music videos, film podcasts, shoot commercials, etc. And being able to appropriately engage in those conversations at the moment and then follow up shortly after that initial interaction has been huge. There is certainly no shortage of photographers and videographers out there so having a good conversation with me and then getting an email, text, or phone call shortly after demonstrates a level of professionalism that may set me apart from others. I also attribute a big portion of my client growth to word of mouth. I have clients like The Orange Soda, Marlon Anthony Events, and Just Friends who do not hesitate to recommend my services to others and these are the type of clients you want to work for. So much of the business as a photographer/videographer is built off of recommendations so the goal is always to bring my A game with every client.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rigby.media
- Instagram: rigbymedia
Image Credits
Rigby Media