We were lucky to catch up with Rudy Ortega recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rudy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

I’m a documentary photographer that loves to shoot moments that unfold in real time. That means I’m not staging photographs and controlling every aspect to create an image. Rather, I’m documenting spontaneous gestures and emotions from people that I encounter. My goal is to tell a story whether it’s from one photo or a series of images. While I do some planning like positioning myself where the best light occurs, I’m still reacting and constantly improvising. It’s important that I know my camera so I can make adjustments on the fly. Settings like exposure and focus dials have to be quickly changed according to each situation.

Rudy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a documentary photographer from Michigan. I’ve lived in the Denver area for 6 years. I’m captivated by catching fleeing moments that tell a story, usually an uplifting one.

My clients range from weddings to families to event sponsors. While each type of client offers unique challenges, my goal remains the same. Create compelling images from candid moments. My 14+ years of experience helps gain the trust from my clients. They can relax and be themselves around my camera. This allows me to blend into their environment naturally without disruptions, unlike staging photos. I don’t have to move furniture around or direct people where to stand. I just work with what I got and go from there.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson that I’ve had to learn is to be thorough with my clients during the pre-planning process. When I first started shooting weddings I would show clients a slideshow of my work and briefly describe what I do but that’s not enough for most couples. You have to almost change their mindset on what to expect because it’s not everyday that you have a photographer follow you around for 8-12 hours. You have to get them to let go of control by explaining not just what you do but how you’re always thinking. As a documentary photographer, I’m not always shooting and I talk very little with my clients on their wedding day. I’m usually thinking about where I have to position myself for the next big event on their timeline and how I’m going to use the light, etc. In fact, I tell them if you don’t see me, I’m probably photographing another great moment from another family member away from you. I get them to trust the process and the more freedom they give me, the better the images they will receive.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a professional photographer, the most rewarding aspect for me is knowing what I do is important as I’m helping my clients build their legacy with everlasting sentimental images.

I’m also thrilled to that I get to be creative on how I tell a story. It’s exciting when I capture a beautiful moment in a perfect frame. It’s very difficult to achieve. I’ll usually show it off immediately to my clients because I’m so excited.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rudyortegaphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudyortegaweddings/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rudyortegaphotography
• Other: Street photography @ https://www.instagram.com/rudyortega/