We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tobin Caldwell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tobin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I have spent most my life learning the nuances of photography. Both of my parents graduated from Pasadena Art Center, which allowed me to essentially gain a college education in photography for free.

The interesting thing however, is that both my parents being photographers isn’t what got me into photography. Yes, it most certainly didn’t hurt the process, them both being photographically inclined; that means that I had access to not only the technology, but also the knowledge to do essentially anything within the realm of this camera based artform. I learned so much about how to navigate this art, but I never really practiced it. What this meant is that I could in theory, be an amazing photographer, but in practice: I didn’t really shoot, I wasn’t a photographer.

What really got me into photography though, was high school. There were some classes we could take as extra curricular courses, AVID, HEAL, and DATA. I was introduced to DATA, ‘Digital Arts Technology Academy,’ through my mom, who knew the photography teacher with this program. I learned more and more about photography and videography through this class, met fun people, created fun projects. I don’t know that I created anything that absolutely blew my mind though. The most important thing this class did for me, was allow me to practice actually using a camera. The photos I found the most promising were created outside of the class.

Outside of class, I would try learning from other photographers, practice their ways, and work their skills into my photography. This is where my favorite photos came from. I used fun tricks I learned and created pieces that inspired me to pickup the camera more and more. That lead me to practicing photography at university, through internships, work, and personal projects.

Speeding up this learning process for me would have been difficult. I feel that if I didn’t take the time I did, I might not like photography as much as I do now. Somethings that might have sped the process up however, would be to watch other photographers more, especially the ones I thought produced amazing work. Watching them do what they do ends up making me pick up cameras and try making my own work.

Tobin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I provide any photography service imaginable. There are many times when someone has come to me asking if I do a certain kind of shoot, that I have never even considered before: those are the most terrifying of times. Each time this happens, I work up the courage to say, ‘of course,’ and I work through it. Working through those shoots helps me to become not only a better photographer, but I also feel more creative and confident, having to work through something I never have before. I feel that these are the most important kinds of shoots, if you can do something you never have before, and do it well, on a whim, it opens you up to a whole new world of opportunity.

I have extensively worked in portraits, event, and product photography. I feel that those are my favorites, but I have shot just about every kind of photo.

I am most proud of the work that goes into each photo, whether it be in-front of the client or the computer screen. I strive to make every photo a piece that I am proud to present to the world. I think this goal helps me to produce my best work and to have no regrets when it comes to creating these little digital memories.

Have you ever had to pivot?

This year, the year I really got into shooting graduation photos, I choose to just jump straight in. I learned a lot about marketing myself in the months previous, and I did something drastic: on a split second decision, I went up and down the line of people waiting to buy their graduation caps and gowns, introducing myself and handing business cards to anyone who said they didn’t have a grad photo session just yet. This was a simple act, yet I feel it was a powerful one, as what I did afterwards was run to the nearest computer and update my old portfolio website. Going to the grad fair line might not have yielded many calls, in fact I only got one off that, but updating my website has caused me to completely redefine my branding and how I was to present myself. That new branding really helped to kick start the process of truly working in this graduation portrait area of photos.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients has actually been through word of mouth. I interned for the photography group my college had created and ended up with a lot of people who learned what my work looks like. I feel that showing off my work through that internship has grown my business a fair amount and helped me with many clients today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tobincaldwell.wixsite.com/tobin-caldwell
• Instagram: t0bean