We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rich Soublet II a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rich, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
I’m not really worried about legacy. I think it’s enough to focus on the here and now. I think it’s enough to be present with people. It’s enough to be kind and soak in the world and find beauty and joy in all the things around you. It really makes me happy to think that it’s enough for me to exist, be a bit strange, and give people positive experiences.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I’m primarily a headshot and portrait photographer, though I’ve done every sort of social event you can imagine and I always tell people “If it can be photographed I can do it.” Early on in my career, there was a lot of “Say yes now and figure it out before shoot time” going on. The most important thing for me is for people to walk away from a shoot with photos of themselves that make them feel great. I want people to be proud/happy to share their photos and think “Look at me! Isn’t that awesome!”
More than anything I love helping them feel they deserve to be seen. I love it when someone sees a new image of themself and they get that “wow that’s me?!” look. I think that powerfully affects how much positivity that person can spread after they leave. You could add “Expression Coach” to my title and would be appropriate. I know that the entire process of being photographed is a bit strange when you really think about it, and it’s easy to get in your own head before a shoot. I create an environment that is as relaxed and fun as possible (usually by being a bit goofy) to help people feel at ease in front in the camera.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I always go back to a meeting I had with a more established photographer a little over ten years ago and something they said that I still think about.
“Y’know…your work is alright, and if you keep at it the work will certainly get better. What you have already though is that you’re nice. If you stay nice you’re gonna get work, even if you don’t get any better.”
I always do my best to lead with kindness and patience in every interaction (professional or otherwise) because people enjoy working with pleasant people.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Nothing beats a real human showing another real human a photo I took of them and saying how much they like the photo and enjoyed the experience creating it. Personal referrals are the lifeblood of my business!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://richshoots.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richsoubletphotography/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-soublet-42747329/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoubletPhotos