We were lucky to catch up with Randi Roberts recently and have shared our conversation below.
Randi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
On the surface, my mission is like any wedding photographer which is to capture and tell a love story. But for me personally, it goes much deeper than that. Not only do I want to tell an authentic story of those in love, I also want to empower them to feel like the beautiful badasses they are. I hear it all the time, “I’m sorry but we’re really awkward in front of the camera and don’t take good photos.” I’ve been there. Growing up I felt awkward and weird regardless of whether I was in front of the camera or not. But I quickly realized that a well taken photo has so much power to bolster someone’s confidence as well as create a safe space for expression. In my growing years, this is how I found myself and I knew immediately I wanted to share this experience. It’s my top priority with every person I photograph to encourage them and create an experience that feels fun, genuine, and encouraging. By the end of the session or wedding, I hear a new tune of “Wow, you captured us so well. We look so good!” And as much as I would like to say this is just because I’m a good ph0tograher, I truly believe that it is actually a result of my mission to bring comfort and artistry to each photograph.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My journey into photography started as an extremely awkward teenager taking photos of dead grass on a 2 megapixel phone camera. No really. My mom saw me taking these photos from such unique angles and recognized a special artistic eye in me and she bought my first camera and encouraged me to pursue it. Way back then, photography was not popular and it was not something the general public would say you could make a career out of. I was also unsure of my talent and lacked confidence and a sense of self, but I fell in love with taking photos nonetheless and as I entered my young adult years it was one of the only constants in my life and became an outlet for exploring and expressing myself.
As I mentioned in my mission statement, the artistry of photography opened my eyes to a whole new world and it gave me the confidence to come out of my shell and grow confidence. It also pushed me to connect with other individuals and I realized that my heart yearns to serve others in a way that also encourages confidence and self-expression. So with that, I began photographing couples and eventually weddings. I’ve developed a unique approach of blending documentary realness with a more editorial edge. There are two reasons I think this style works so well. For one, I take a lot of time to get to know each person I photograph and what makes them who they are. But also during the shoot itself, I create a light hearted and safe space. With knowing people on a deeper level, I can break down those walls of nerves and discomfort in front of the camera. I capture genuine real moments of people interacting and as the comfort grows, I love to introduce more artistic frames that people then look back on and feel so damn good about themselves. I absolutely never force a pose or idea. Every second I spend photographing, is focused on the people I’m capturing and what feels good to them. From the location to the wardrobe, I always encourage people to highlight what they enjoy together and what feels authentic to them.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I feel like the most expected answer here is marketing. But honestly that’s not been my journey. I don’t have the most followers, I don’t post consistently on social media, and you’ll NEVER catch me dancing on Tik Tok. Hahaha
My strategy for growing my business is client experience. That is the core of my entire business. From the presence I do have online, to the initial inquiry and the whole experience to follow I want to create a personal experience for each of my clients. I do not believe you can effectively capture and tell someone’s story without knowing them and establishing connection. While Instagram does generate a lot of eyes on my work, it’s the experience that makes people want to book. I make it a point to be extremely real online about my struggles with anxiety, the non-glamorous parts of this job, and just being myself as a semi-emo and dorky person who loves people and animals. Additionally, I don’t just book someone and then stop the conversation. I take a lot of steps to ask questions, connect, and get to know people. I also make it abundantly clear that my mission is to make the photography experience comfortable, fun, and more than just photos at the end of the day. I’m not going to just focus on photos, my focus is on each person I work with whether that’s making sure your vision is heard or simply carrying your train throughout your wedding day.
It’s also client experience that drives others to share your name and your work. I have so many people come to me through client or vendor referrals because of the experience that I provided. You just can’t go wrong by focusing on others and not just your craft.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
This is really important to me! I try to connect with all my clients on social media or via text if they aren’t into the online space. I’m not constantly bombarding my clients with messages, but if I see that they’re going to their dress fitting, or they just got a new puppy, whatever it is, I do try to interact and hype them up. My brand is all about empowering people to be themselves and feel damn good about it. I think encouragement is one of my strengths and at the core of my brand so creating a space of communication and even friendship has resulted in a lot of wonderful connections with people who either refer me to their friends or even book me for several big life events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://randirobertsphoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/randirobertsphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randirobertsphotography
Image Credits
Randi Roberts