Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachael SaBell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rachael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I’ve always been a creative. Everyone is a creative in the sense that we are all human and create things whether they are physical or in our imagination. I’ve always been a very visual person with a big internal world. I would be perfectly content playing by myself just imagining, creating, and exploring. I attended university and graduated with my bachelors in biology. I was the first person in my family to finish college and graduate. With this big accomplishment on my shoulders I naturally went to work at a restaurant to pay off my student loans. After working for about 2 years post grad. I found a job in a lab testing quality assurance. The shifts were 12 hours and over night similar to a nursing shift but my mental health waned. I left and found another lab job this time during the day time hours. Dolly’s song 9 to 5 finally made sense. After 10 years of working for other people I started to feel hopeless, unfulfilled, like a hamster on a wheel. I started getting involved in the Denver creative scene in 2018 I would go to meetups and meet other photographers and models and we would shoot in the streets of RiNo. My curiosity was once again sparked I felt that creativity I once felt as a young child. In 2019 I decided to quit my lab job and went full time on my own to be a Photographer. I was so starry eyed I had created a good network and had some clients how hard could it be? I soon realized that it was a business only this time I was repping myself. It came with it’s ups and downs as any new business owner experiences. I found myself working a string of odd jobs to make ends meet: delivery driver, crystal photographer, inn-keeper, etc. When 2020 happened I made it through, somehow I kept my dream alive to be a photographer. In conclusion being a freelance photographer is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have often thought about throwing in the towel but I couldn’t go back to a 9 to 5 I’m used to being free. Used to making my own decisions and creating my own path. As hard as this path I chose for myself may be I cannot go back to the mundane. I will continue to try and try again and continue to re-invent myself as a person and photographer.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Roo Photographs came to be in 2019. I had aspirations of being a wedding and couple photographer. Now my main focus is lifestyle, commercial, and personal branding. Helping other business owners and creatives shine is what I love! I understand how important brand awareness is and my goal is to do what I would want from others to help grow my business. Taking great photos is only one part of the equation. Understanding people and meeting them where they are and making them feel comfortable is important. My goal when working with clients is to make them feel comfortable and create images that make them feel great. I am a proud queer photographer and I would love to work and collaborate with more queer people and businesses.
Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?
Heated question! Everyone has such strong opinions about NFTs. I am curious but cautious. I believe they are the future whether we like it or not. Do they have an impact on our environment, absolutely. Some believe NFTs are a trend but I think not so far in the future people will use them to buy sporting tickets or get exclusive deals from their favorite brands. It’s a new wave of currency and I think for artists it will be harder to earn an income off of their art unless you have a ton of followers but also art never depreciates. Also NFTs are not stocks it’s not a way to get rich kind of idea. It’s more of a community outlook and you have an asset that allows you to be apart of something. I have purchased one non-fungible token for a vanlife community that gives its members benefits for life on the road. For me this one makes sense since my partner and I have a van and travel often. Best advise I would say is be curious but cautious.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
There are so many resources now for creatives it’s insane! Also Instagram or TikTok is not your only way to promote your business. LinkedIn is a great place to gig or job hunt with minimal spam. Creatively is an app that has job postings for all kinds of creatives from digital media, stylists, and photographers. Facebook groups in your area are great places to connect and get word out about your business. Invest in your website I use Square and I am learning SEO this is a great way to bring clients to you along with blog posts. Get financial help: it can be so intimidating knowing how to track your expenses and how to send contracts and invoicing. Youtube and google are great free resources to find/learn/answer your dying questions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roophotographs.com/
- Instagram: @roo_photographs
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-sabell-b67984168/
- Twitter: @rachaelsabell