We were lucky to catch up with Ted Partin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ted , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I think my path is similar to that of many others, which means I learned a little bit from a lot of different sources and I tried to shoot as often as possible while being honest with myself about my faults and taking criticism as an opportunity to improve. Having been at this for most of my life, I can’t say that I would change anything about my learning process. It is that process and the experiences I had as a result of it that made me the photographer I am today. The key, the one thing that I believe has made my progress possible, is a boldness to put yourself into new situations and try new ways of working.

I am, and will always be my single biggest obstacle. I mean, I’m a human with an ego and emotions who doesn’t always make the best decisions and, like other creators, I often hold myself back more that I realize in the moment.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My business is simple: I own and operate a commercial photography studio and business based on fashion, beauty, and product photography. If you and your product need clean, minimal, bright, and texture-rich studio images I’m your guy. Unlike many other photographers who dabble in other areas I stay firmly planted in commercial/editorial work (no matter how much it may hurt sometimes). My focus, my space, my equipment, and my workflow have been well honed to deliver the kinds of results my clients expect.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is twofold: I want to be able to look at my work and find joy in it while still being driven to improve.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I guess I was lucky since I was able to get my start before video took over social media. My advice, no matter what the dominant content type is on a platform, is to engage. Your followers follow you because of your work, but they stay because of how you make them feel.

Contact Info:

• Website: ted80p.me
• Instagram: @ted80p_photography