We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Randall De Leon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Randall thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

As a photographer in Southern California, especially for weddings, the market is very saturated with a lot of other creatives and artists who cater to all the couples who are looking for vendors to complete their teams on their wedding days. the biggest challenge is that with such a saturated field, consumers and clients are starting to look into certain differences with photographers whether its style, personality, costs and simply the overall experience that they can provide to their clients. I have learned that over the years you just simply have to continue your course and work on your craft not trying to be like the rest but instead be unique in your own way and build your audience that suits her look and style. Sometimes trying to mimic others or match a certain look can get you lost in the industry and forget your identity of when and why you got into the business in the first place.

Randall, 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?

For those who don’t know me that well, photography was always just a hobby and I actually pursued a career in the medical field all through college. I always loved shooting family events, candids and trips but never really looked into making it my full time career only until a few years before Covid hit. By the time I was a fully licensed Physical Therapy Assistant in 2017, my first year in the field was fun and enjoyed working with patients but I was such an outgoing and adventurous person, I never really got to fully enjoy the world and what it offered such as traveling because I was stuck working 5 days a week with 8-9 hour days. Having my children was also another thing because working in the office daily felt like I never truly got to have time with my children unless it was after coming home late from work or just having the weekends to go out and explore.

Now with my business I trust get a great sense of reward and gratification because I meet new people and clients. I get to travel and take my work with me whether it’s a quick vacation to San Diego or even traveling to places like Hawaii and New York to work and enjoy time with my wife and kids. This career change allowed me to be more present in my families’ lives, allowing myself to cherish these moments at home to watch my kids grow and spend more time with my wife both at home and outside of home since we both hold jobs that allow us to work from home.

What I want my clients, both present and future to know about me is that I truly have a passion for my work and love sharing my art and talent with others. I love being able to document a love story from as early as their proposal up to the wedding day and beyond. I have been able to create some long lasting relationships and give clients an experience where they are not just paying customers but can eventually become good friends or even family. My photography is full of capturing events in the moment to allow tangible photos to be looked at over and over as timeless piece of art. I love giving my clients something they can hold onto forever and continue to share as years come and go.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is to create some moments and memories for my clients and seeing the joy and happiness they have once they receive the product. My works continues to circulate allowing for more people to inquire and reach out for my services and allowing my business to grow with more exposure not only in California but also around the world.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my audience by just sharing moments and memories that are genuine and organic daily allowing for people to follow and reach out for future events or services. I didn’t target certain clients but was able to create and build relationships with clients who began to share the work and allowed for my by business to grow both on social media and especially through word of mouth. I wanted to give an experience where clients continue to come back year after year documenting new milestones whether it may be weddings, holiday photos, maternity photos, newborn photos and more!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.randalldeleonphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/randalldeleonphotography
• Facebook: Facebook.com/randalldeleonphotography
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/randall-de-leon-photography-burbank?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)