We recently connected with Ruth Kim and have shared our conversation below.

Ruth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I’m incredibly grateful that I can say I am earning a full-time living from my photography business — and it definitely did not happen overnight! When I quit my full-time job in the fall of 2020, my income went from about $50k to zero when I hit “send” on my resignation email. It was a huge and potentially stupid risk — at that point, I hadn’t even landed my first real client and I had zero proof of concept that I could even make this work. But for better or for worse (and thankfully it was for the better!), the pandemic had taken its toll on me and I was itching to make a change.

Of course, it was slow in the early days. I spent hours scouring job posting sites and putting together countless proposals, only to hear back from maybe a handful of potential clients. It was definitely discouraging, and I spent most of my time learning and honing the craft, working on my website, and shooting personal projects to build my portfolio. I would photograph anything and everything at my disposal, which were usually skincare products, makeup, or canned beverages that I loved — one of which was Boochcraft, my favorite hard kombucha brand. I posted a GIF of one of their flavors, which happened to catch the attention of their team. One thing led to another, and in mid 2021 I started working with literally my favorite brand ever, and that creative relationship is still going strong today. When I think about it, I guess I would call that moment a milestone in my journey. It proved to me that I was on the right track and it reinforced the advice that I’ve heard before and would give to other new photographers: create and share work that you want to be hired for. I’ve learned that when I genuinely love the subject matter that I’m shooting and when I’m able to build genuine human relationships with my clients, it absolutely translates into my work. In turn, people are attracted to and positively respond to that work, and ultimately the work flows in.

I guess from there, I don’t know if I could pinpoint other *major* steps or specific milestones — ultimately, I think the throughline of my growth was being consistent and reliable in various aspects of my business. Consistently learning, shooting and creating, and sharing my work. Consistently producing quality imagery and creatives for my clients. Consistently updating my website with my newest, best work. Being reliable and quick to respond to clients or whoever reaches out with an inquiry. Being reliable with my timelines and due dates, both to clients and to myself (i.e., setting boundaries for myself and not overloading unrealistically with too many projects at once). Being punctual, being organized, being kind. I know these are all intangible things but I truly believe that these are the qualities that have helped me grow, resulting in repeat clients and referrals. Last year, I made well over the salary that I was earning when I quit my job in 2020, and I’m on track to match or hopefully surpass that this year! I earn the bulk of my income through my own product photography business, as well as earn supplemental income through agency work doing freelance photography and prop styling. Earning a living through creative work is possible, and I hope this gives anyone on a similar path some hope that they’ll get there too, as long as they’re willing to put in the work!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a product photographer and prop stylist based in Long Beach, CA! I specialize in stylized still-life photography, e-commerce imagery, and GIFs for brands from various industries, but being a lover of food & a good time, I absolutely love food and beverage photography for CPG brands and brick-and-mortar establishments. I like to think what sets me apart is not only the quality of my work, but that clients can truly depend on me to be a professional and provide high quality work every single time.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

This might be cliché, but it’s cliché for a reason because so many of us fall into this trap! I had to unlearn that you need the newest cameras, technology, or gadgets on the market to become a better photographer. I’ve wasted a lot of money on lenses, new camera bodies, lights, gadgets, you name it! Of course, it does take some trial and error to figure that out, but I’ve found you really only need a few select tools in your toolbox to get the job done. If it’s helpful, these are my trusty tools:

– Nikon D780 camera
– Sigma 24-70mm lens
– Sigma 105mm lens
– Godox AD400 Pro strobe
– Godox AD200 Pro strobe
– Lots of white and black bounce boards
– Capture One + Photoshop

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

The most rewarding part of all of this is when I get to make human connections, especially when I work with small businesses. When I see how passionate these entrepreneurs are, working so hard to bring their vision to fruition, and then they trust me to help in that journey — it’s the best. As creatives, we’re naturally emotionally and personally invested in the work that we create, but I think the human aspect of creatives often gets brushed aside, and we’re viewed as simply production houses (literally). So when I get to experience client relationships where the human connection is valued, it helps reinforce why I love doing what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ruthkimcreative.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruthkimcreative