We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rob Hurth. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rob below.
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
So many portrait photographers offer a low price for their sessions, and then include the digital files, with full printing rights…this is a recipe for disaster; it’s certainly not a sustainable business model.
We, on the other hand, do not. We value our work too much to allow our work to be printed by one of the box-stores.
As a result our per client sale is far greater than others. This business model alone, has allowed us to survive the shut-downs during the height of the COVID era.
So many of the other “photographers” did not survive, and ended up changing career paths.
We, on the other hand, at the height of the COVID shut-down, secured a new studio location in a popular plaza, in the heart of our town, and we had it prepared, and ready to go, once the shut-downs were lifted.
We weren’t going to let a future with COVID define what direction we were going in..!
Although many people thought we were nuts in opening a new location with all the uncertainty ahead, we knew we had to take as much control as we could…
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
As an artist, I LOVE photographing weddings and portraits. I love to be behind the camera working.
What the reality is, is that it’s just a small percentage of my week that I get to spend behind my camera. The majority of my time is working the business of the business.
I’m really a businessman who also creates photos. And, since I’m a small business, and not operate on volume, I have a very small amount of people around me handling tasks, so I don’t have to.
One of the struggles I encounter as a creative, is the inability to fully be creative during slower periods, because my mind is always on how to market better, and grow the studio.
That’s when I begin to be more concerned about bills being paid, securing new work in the studio, etc. It’s kinda difficult to think creatively with other things on your mind…
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.robhurthphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robhurthphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robhurthphotography
Image Credits
All Images by Rob Hurth