We recently connected with Ryan Kline and have shared our conversation below.
Ryan, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I’m a huge advocate of taking risks. Whether or not you fail it’s always an opportunity to learn. I did that very thing when I decided to start shooting photos as a paid professional. I was a FedEx driver at the time and wasn’t exactly enjoying my job. I was overwhelmed with my work load and honestly drinking way too much to cope with the stress. Something had to change. I quit the delivery gig and coasted off of my savings for a few months. Then one day on indeed I saw an ad for a drone photographer gig. Now having no experience other than landscape photography and building rc cars with my dad, I didn’t think I’d get the job at all. Who was I to think I could be a drone photographer when I’d never even flown one before. But being the person I am I figured what do I have to lose right? So away I went collecting what I could for a portfolio and sending it off just knowing at least I tried. Well about a week later I got a call to come in for an interview. Skeptical that they were even considering I almost didn’t show up but yet again I had the though ring through my head, “what do I have to lose?” I got the job, they paid for all my training, and were only willing to do so because my portfolio impressed them and because I remained honest about my experience and lack there of. 5 years later and I’ve flown countless hours and used a majority of the money I earned to start branching into marketing, weddings, and product photography. I’ve met amazing people along the way and learned from them different styles of portraiture and lighting as well as business techniques and had a blast the entire time. All I can truly say is if there’s even an ounce of your body and mind telling you to try to go after something,LISTEN TO IT! Even if you fail you will have learned and gained experience from getting outside of your comfort zone. And never be afraid to fail. It truly is the greatest teacher in life.
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 got into photography as an amateur during my junior year of high school. I always fantasized about becoming a full time pro but thought it was exactly that, a fantasy. After years and years of wandering around life working dead end jobs I took that leap towards my dream. I started small with real estate and drone photos, and then used the money towards my passion. Landscapes and creative portraits. Since my leap I’ve been featured in countless magazines and won several awards, yet even this recognition isn’t anything compared to how I feel when I capture these moments. I live to capture the hidden gems of our national parks, and I dream to create compelling photos that alter the sense of reality and perception. I’m a huge movie nerd and have even branched out into creating short films and working as a cinematographer on various other artists works. The main thing I’d like you, the reader, to know, is I am a creative and I have always been. Working with me is exciting, unorthodox, and will keep you on your toes in the best way. I don’t like to fit inside a box. I like breaking molds and norms, I live to be the unexpected. If that sounds good to you, then we may just need to create something awesome together.
Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?
For me, I’m currently living through a massive slump. Not specifically one of creativity, but in the sense I had to move away from what got me started. Real estate photos may have helped me fund my initial start up, but it just wasn’t sustainable creatively or financially. I recently left the company I was working with and have sense been on a bit of a break as I wait for either the next best opportunity or the awe inspiring moment we all crave as creative minds.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a creative would have to be the journey. Everything, and I mean everything is, has, or was a story. I’ve traveled to some breathtaking locations, yet some of my favorite photos were taken only 20 mins from where I live. And it’s not the content of the photo that makes me favor them over these epic dreams like landscapes. It’s the memory of the story that got me to these places. The people behind the photographer are what really make the art beautiful. Sure a photographer has an eye, but inspiration rarely happens within. It’s the artists community, their family and friends. That’s what guides them to create whatever it may be that they create. 
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/rnk_photo_
- Youtube: Darkvoyagefilms
Image Credits
All photos by Ryan Kline