We recently connected with Olivia Robinson and have shared our conversation below.

Olivia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Trial and error. A lot of times I just went in with a mindset of enthusiasm and excitement for taking photos, having a vision, and wanting to create something. I never had any formal education, just experimentation. I’m still so new and receptive to learning as much as possible. I don’t think there is any particular skill that’s more important to have. As long as you’re creating from a place of passion and excitement that’s all that matters, the rest will come along the way. learning that I set the parameters for my capabilities has caused me to push myself further out of my comfort zone and take more risks. Developing your own personal style comes from stepping outside of the box and separating yourself from the crowd.

Olivia, 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?

I’m a born and raised Minnesotan, recently turning 20 has motivated me to try and cultivate something new so I’m moving to the west coast later this spring. I first fell in love with photography after being inspired by photographer Jordan Knight in my early teens. At that time, I had no idea art could be a career option for me. I always fell in line with more creative hobbies, but the thought of pursuing something artistic was foreign to me. after purchasing a starter Canon camera It quickly consumed my every free moment, from shooting with friends to random nature shots. I always had my camera in hand, not knowing at the time that something as simple as my Rebel T5 would become a huge guiding factor in my journey into adulthood. After about a year, I realized I wanted to pursue this more seriously. I posted on social media and got in touch with local models to build a portfolio; this transitioned into creative based shoots, which gave me the opportunity to learn the basics of composition and utilization of my camera to its full extent. Granted, I’m still learning every day, but I really built a foundation during that period. I’d say shooting my first concert was a big turning point for me, it helped me find the niche of photography I wanted to settle in. I take a lot of inspiration from music and music culture. Especially fashion. You see certain subgroups and genres develop their own style, and as I continue to develop my own, I hope to incorporate more of that into my work. Working with musicians for fashion based projects would be the dream. I still have so much to look forward to in my career, and I’m excited to bring that into fruition. Photography has given my life so much more purpose than I could’ve ever imagined. It’s been a fundamental piece of my identity and how I experience the world. It has grounded me in many ways and opened doors to experiences I never thought I would have.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

While social media is both a blessing and a curse, It’s an amazing resource to network, display projects, build your brand, and build your community. It allows you to promote and find your audience without leaving your home, but the algorithm is a tough thing. Learning the trends or having viral content can change your career. On the flip side, being shadow-banned means no engagement and a loss of visibility.

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

With photography, it gave me the option to explore and see the world from a different perspective. I’ve met so many interesting people from all walks of life whose paths I wouldn’t have crossed, a lot of whom became close friends. For me, photos mean memories. I look back and wish I had more pictures of people I love. It’s so valuable to look at a photo and have it represent a memory. There have been countless times I’ve found old photos from my Dad’s life and to see his face light up before he tells me a story he had forgotten. I hope to be able to do that for my family and friends now. I’m grateful to be able to give someone else the gift of saving a moment forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.olivialrobinsonphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivialrobinson_/