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

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I’m not afraid to get involved with tasks on a wedding day that may be considered “not my job.”

I have a few goals for myself when starting a wedding day. First and foremost, to capture a complete gallery with beautiful images, that really capture the true emotions of the day. Images that capture all the love between the couple, their friends, family, and guests. I believe my secret to capturing these authentic emotions is my second and equal goal. This is to lead with love; bringing my own joy and experience to amplify the most important day in a couple’s life. There are often points during a wedding day that I could choose to wait around for someone else to address the issue, but in those moments, I choose to resolve them. I have found that any way I can minimize the stresses that arise, the calmer my couples feel, and the more I can coach my couples to share their authentic emotions during the multiple portrait sessions of the day. The more comfortable I can make my couples feel, the more they are able to relax and really enjoy the time they are spending together.

I’ll go through a few of examples of what is “not my job” but I happily do anyway. One example would be: generally, at every wedding there are no groomsmen or guests who know how to put on a boutonniere properly (believe me when I say this happens almost every wedding LOL). So, I mastered putting on boutonnieres, in the event that they would need help. Because ultimately, allowing them to spend all that time fiddling with boutonniere cuts into the timeline, they are never straight, and it makes us run behind and ends with a stressed-out bride and photographer who still has so much envisioned to capture. Coming in 2023 – a pocket square pro, because I’m tired of those looking like a handkerchief stuffed into a pocket haphazardly.

Another example would be ushering. Some weddings my couples forget to appoint an usher, and hope the guests are able to seat themselves. What ends up happening is everyone is afraid of the front. I have been known to politely ask guests to move up a few rows because I know those huge dead-zones will look bad in their final images.

I’m not necessarily advocating for basically becoming the wedding coordinator/planner but I really am passionate about helping my couple’s wedding day run as smoothly as I am able to, while capturing a complete wedding gallery. It is a balance, but one that is worth the effort. Because in those moments between, when the stress of the day melts away, are where I capture my most beautiful images showcasing the love that they have for each-other. I’m sure the wedding gallery would still be beautiful without these types of extra touches, but I want my couples to look back and be able to see and feel the emotions, and for me to know, I did everything I could to maximize the time I had with them. To feel loved and that I cherished their big day as much as they did.

To me a lot of what makes a wedding day successful, and makes sure clients love their images, is the whole client experience. From the very first communication to their wedding day, it is important to make decisions that drive a positive client experience. You can have absolutely gorgeous images, but ultimately when a client sees a photo, they are transported back to that moment in time, I want them to associate my images with happy moments. I feel small businesses are very much a “you get out what you put in.” If I bring a calming presence and use what I have learned to help my clients overall experience, what I get out are happy clients who love their images. I really value my clients experience, and doing everything I can to make their wedding day be the dream that they always imagined.

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?

I guess I’ll start by introducing myself. I’m Rachel, I am a full-time wedding and portrait photographer, full-time business owner, and full-time mother. I capture bright, colorful, and heartfelt images of weddings and families in the Cincinnati and Dayton area. I photograph primarily weddings but also absolutely love photographing families. It is a side of my business I hope to grow.

I got into the industry after being in vet care for 8 years. Which is a major pivot as far as careers go. I was told when I was young that I was destined to be a creative, but I really wanted to work with animals. So, you could say I was a bit stubborn about it. Thinking back, I did always want to be a photographer, I just felt as a young girl, artists couldn’t be successful. I remember watching Passport to Paris, and a scene where the photographer is changing lenses on their camera, and I watched in wonder, wanting to know what that felt like. So here I am, changing lenses all the time, making a living doing what I love, and loving life.

My mission with my brand is to share the love and light that I carry with me, to capture genuine moments but “La Vie en Rose.” Capturing images that showcase genuine emotions and real life, but choosing to see the beauty of every moment. Rogue State Photography is about choosing to see beauty in the highs and lows of life, but to view our life through a different lens, a more colorful, bright, and heartfelt lens.

I am really proud of the growth I have had over these 6 years, I really account a lot of my growth to the amazing photographers I have gotten to know and work with over the years. I am really passionate about community over competition and actively second shooting for other photographers every year to keep up with industry standards. We all have something to learn, and something to share with each other. I believe our industry as a whole benefits from us holding each other up, sharing the bits of expertise we have gathered along the way, and encouraging each-other to pursue our dreams. This year I am very excited to be starting work on an e-course and mentoring program. While I do not have everything figured out, I do feel a pull to teach and share all that I have learned so far, especially if it helps someone achieve their dreams of making this craft their full time job.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My most effective strategy has been really focusing on my customer experience. Around 80% of my weddings are from direct referrals.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Funding my business was initially a major risk. When I started really having some traction in my business, I was shooting on a rebel T6 and nifty fifty. I am a big proponent for the best camera is the one you have, but it was starting to really limit me when it came to receptions and barn weddings. I came to that point where I had to ask myself, do I go all in? or just keep this as a hobby? I sat down with my husband and we discussed my dreams, because they ultimately would affect him as well. And we decided to go all in. I did not have the capital and so I placed everything on a loan. I was able to successfully repay the loan and have continued to reinvest in my business. It can take about 3 years to really build something stable, so anyone who is in the thick of it, I would encourage them to keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: roguestatephotography.com
• Instagram: roguestatephotography
• Facebook: Rogue State Photography LLC

Image Credits
All taken by me :-)