We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephen Rink a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Stephen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I hope to inspire people to take care of our oceans through my images for years to come. A passion was ignited in me at a young age through looking at photographs of oceanic life. It led me to want to become a photographer while maintaining an eco focused way of life. My goal is to be a source of that same spark for someone.
Stephen, 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 picked up my first prosumer camera in my early 20’s. I had been collecting books and photographs of whales and dolphins as a young child, and decided it was time for me to try and capture my own work. I eventually moved to Seattle from the East Coast to be closer to the animals I had fallen in love with. I got involved with different organizations in order to learn as much as I could about them and how I could help protect them.
I tend to prefer showing the whales close to shore, where they tend to be in the Pacific Northwest. This helps drive home that what we do on land affects them at sea and that they are closer to us than people realize. I have recently relocated to the Monterey Bay area where I assist in research and photo identification studies. However, my main goal is still to affect positive impact through my work.
I mainly display my work through my instagram account: @stephenrinkphoto. However, I also sell high quality prints and digital images on my website: www.stephenrinkphotography.com
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had known about the ability to rent camera equipment earlier than I have. Cameras and lenses are very expensive and in my earlier days I would save up and purchase items without having tried them. I didn’t have any disastrous experiences, but now that I have learned about renting it has prevented me from making investments that would not have been wise.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
In terms of my social media presence, I do my best to make it about the subjects, the animals rather than about myself. I’ve seen many instances where it is about a personal relationship to the animals and that is fine for some. The incredible draw of whales is real and impactful, I understand why people want to share their particular relationship with them. However, for me, the animals tell the stories. It is about them, not me. I think that has helped my reputation as someone who isn’t in it for themselves. Granted, I do love growing my numbers and selling work, but that isn’t my main goal.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stephenrinkphotography.com
- Instagram: @stephenrinkphoto
Image Credits
Stephen Rink