We were lucky to catch up with Richard Van De Water recently and have shared our conversation below.

Richard, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I definitely think about what it would be like to have a regular job, or at least be employed by a company to shoot, and usually that thought comes up less from a lack of passion and more from a longing for stability – to know what is coming or not wonder if the thing you are building will keep holding you up.

There are days when I feel deeply grateful to be a business owner, because there is something sacred about building a life with your own hands. Photography, for me, has been more than just taking pictures. Of course i want to take beautiful images, but having only started 5 years ago, it’s been a huge learning curve mixed with something i feel i’ve been naturally gifted at. I truly believe we have the freedom to do whatever we want, but when we use what we are gifted at, we end up serving something to society that is bigger than ourselves. That part brings me a lot of joy.

I also think people romanticize entrepreneurship and rarely talk about the weight of it. No one really tells you how hard it can be to build something from the ground up without a clear roadmap, without mentors, and without the kind of stability that lets your nervous system fully rest. There is freedom in it, yes, but there is also pressure. A lot of it. But every time I really sit with that thought, I usually come back to the same conclusion: I do not think I am longing for a different life as much as I am longing for more peace within the life I have chosen. I do not want to abandon the dream or the gift – I want to build it in a healthier way with wisdom, support, and sustainability.

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.

For those who may be unfamiliar with my work, I am a photographer whose path into this industry was pretty unconventional. I did not study photography in college, and it was never really a hobby of mine before. It was not until about five years ago, right in the middle of COVID, that I first picked up a camera in any serious way. I had gone on a trip to Hawaii after things started opening back up and wanted to document it just for fun, so I borrowed a friend’s camera. Over the course of those next few weeks, something clicked. I realized I wanted to really try my hand at photography. Fast forward five years, and it is clear to me that this is something I am naturally gifted in, even though the road to get here has been anything but easy.

It has taken a lot of hard work, a lot of grinding, and a lot of learning as I go, but it has also come with a lot of reward. There have definitely been seasons of burnout, but never burnout from the love of photography itself or from why I do it. What I create lives at the intersection of storytelling, brand identity, and visual impact. I produce photography for brands, campaigns, products, and individuals who want more than just something aesthetically pleasing — they want imagery that actually says something. Whether I am shooting lifestyle, action, portraiture, or branded content, my goal is always the same: to create images that feel authentic, elevated, and memorable.

I think one of the biggest things that sets me apart is that I care deeply about the feeling behind the frame, not just the frame itself. Technical skill matters, of course, but so does intuition. So does knowing how to draw something authentic out of a person, a place, or a brand. I want my work to have polish without losing its soul. I want it to feel refined, but still human. I think clients can sense when someone is simply delivering images versus when they are genuinely invested in creating something meaningful, and I try to bring that level of care into everything I do.

What I am most proud of is not any one shoot or project, but the fact that I have continued to build this from the ground up while staying connected to my vision. I am proud that I have kept going, kept refining, kept trusting my eye, and kept pursuing work that feels aligned with who I am. More than anything, I want potential clients, followers, and supporters to know that my brand is rooted in authenticity, excellence, and intention. I care about making beautiful work, but I also care about making honest work. I want people to know that when they work with me, they are getting someone who is all in — someone who values story, relationships, detail, and creating something that lasts beyond the moment it was captured.

The work I love most, though, is creating and selling prints. That side of photography holds the most emotion for me, and from what I have been told, it carries that same emotional weight for the people who buy it. In a world where so much visual content is quickly forgotten, I want to create work that makes people stop, feel something, and remember it.

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

I think that strategy is always evolving, but what has been most effective for me is this: beyond simply reaching out, the clients you do get — whether they are big or small — should be cared for in a way that makes them remember you. Not just during the job, but in the aftermath too. That can look like following up thoughtfully, sending something meaningful, keeping notes about who they are, and acting on the details that matter to them. I have not always done this well, but I have learned that it goes a long way when people realize you genuinely care about them, not just the work or getting paid.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

One thing I still wish I had along the way was a business mentor. That is probably the biggest advice I would give to anyone getting into this field. It does not have to happen immediately, but if the business side does not come naturally to you, finding someone who is willing to guide you is incredibly important. That kind of mentorship can be the difference between simply having talent and actually building something sustainable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.richardvandewater.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardvandewater/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richardcarltonvandewater
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardvandewater/
• Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@richardvandewater

  Threads – https://www.threads.com/@richardvandewater

Image Credits

© Richard Van De Water
VAN DE WATER, LLC