Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Richardson.
Hi Robyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was in college pursuing my Bachelor of Fine Arts in a purely creative photography/fine art program when I started shooting weddings for a large studio in the area. (If it matters, college is University of Northern Iowa in Waterloo, IA). It was rather surprising, but after photographing one season as second shooter, the very next wedding season I was the lead photographer for many weekends of that year. I was only 22 years old. Responsible for entire wedding days of couples that were only a bit older than up through the years of being significantly older than me. What I learned in those early days were time management (the photographer is really responsible for keeping the entire wedding day on schedule without missing a shot). I also learned professionality, consistency in my photography (do NOT mess up a bride’s wedding day or need to report failure to your boss/studio owner LOL). And possibly most valuable, people skills! You have to be able to heard cats, mother-in-laws, drunk wedding parties, disgruntled family members and more, to the right spot, at the right time, WITH A SMILE….because after all, you’re just “hired help” on wedding day. But by golly, don’t miss a single shot on that bride’s shot list while you hustle her family and friends to the altar for photos. And get a smile on their faces, ha!
After these beginnings in the wedding industry, I began shooting all varieties of portraits. I graduate college with my fancy fine art degree. And I went to work in corporate as a graphic designer for 5 years. I double majored in photography and graphic design. Graphic Design was my answer to the world’s advice of “go to college and you’ll get a good job”.
I worked for two medium size companies that both taught me the rules of corporate all-to-quick. One was family owned and operated but running an international business. I gained many skills and grew up quickly learning how to be part of a bigger team. But I also saw quickly that I would never be part of their family and never have the same perks, flexibility, and “special treatment” that the family employees received. My second job was less family and more corporate, and the lesson there was that you’re a cog in the wheel, and no matter how much we tell you we want to be one big happy corporate family, you CAN be replaced at any time.
And so I struck out on my own! I had always been shooting on the side of my corporate jobs. And I always knew that I would be self-employed someday. And that day came quick after just five years in the corporate realm.
I moved back from Minneapolis to my SMALL hometown in Iowa, where I thought I could start a business and gain support and clients easily, because “everyone knows your name” in a small town. And it worked! I was so busy that I had hired four employees in my small business in my small hometown within four years. But then love-struck and moved to California with a boy. I downsized a 2500sq ft studio into a Uhaul, keeping only what I thought I REALLY needed to be able to start over in California in an “on-location” photography business.
I’ve been in The Valley since 1/2017 and had a record-breaking first quarter in 2020 until we were shuttered into lockdown. It has truly taken until the fourth quarter of THIS YEAR, 2022, to get my business back to the same pre-pandemic level. It truly feels like three years of massive growth and learning curve (I moved to LA having only driven through on a 24-hour tour and knowing no one, nothing about the areas, culture, etc.) and almost three years of recovery due to the pandemic.
I focus on photographing families (95% of business). I have a very boutique, service-oriented business. I start with a zoom consultation to plan the perfect outfits and location to reflect who my customers really are. I drive an hour radius on the norm for my sessions. I work primarily in the west Valley, Simi Valley and Conejo Valleys, but as far as Ventura, Antelope Valley and Palos Verdes. I want to photograph the family on their “home turf” or in areas they love (at the beach if they love that, but it’s not for everyone). My passion is truly the adventure of the portrait sessions. I love to the climb the rocks and find the best views to encompass the gorgeous southern California scenery. As a kid, I never thought about leaving the Midwest. Never would have considered California, the Golden State, as somewhere I’d ever see, let alone live. But love does funny things! When the opportunity came up to move here, I knew that I could craft my business into something that I truly loved in a state with endless opportunities for scenery and a climate so mild that I can photograph in those scenes year-round. My love is to be outdoors and go on the adventure and capture the scene. Weddings taught me how to work with people and use my love of photography to create artwork OF people so that I had someone to buy the art. If I could be the next Ansel Adams, that would be my ultimate dream. But that nagging voice in the back of my head “go to school, get a good job” wins out. Although I’m thrilled to say that I’ve CREATED my own “good job” and have been 100% self-employed now for eleven years. I work weekends, evenings, long hours and more, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT I DO. The most satisfaction in my business comes at the end. After I’ve had an in-home ordering appointment with the client where we design portrait art for their walls, I then install the artwork for them. When I step back and admire the finished work hanging on their walls, I truly feel like an artist.
I create metal, canvas and custom-framed portraits for my clients. Installation is complimentary. Besides families, I photograph horses and harleys! I grew up with horses and I love to capture horse & rider shots in their element. I also now have a Harley that I ride up and down the coast, taking in this beautiful state we live in. And while the relationship that I moved to California for didn’t last, my love of this state has and I’m here to stay.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Hurdles: downsizing and moving my business out of state after six years. Moving halfway across the country to a sprawling metropolis of LA where no one knew who I was. And enduring the pandemic under LA County’s shutdown after only being here three years.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I photograph families and capture their personalities and relationships in portraits. I’m proud that I get to document families as they grow and change and truly preserve those memories for a lifetime. Richardson Legacy Portraits – preserving your legacy for the next generation.
What sets my work apart from others is that I take lighting with me on location for EVERY session. No matter where I’ve hiked to. You can’t capture the big scene and landscape of California without lighting your subject in front of it.
I specialize in Wall Portrait Art for the home.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Get involved in industry peer groups and hire a coach! When I opened my business, I knew how to shoot but not run a profitable business. By networking with other professionals, I learned quickly how to charge what I was worth, what to offer to my clients to be able to make a living and so many other aspects of running a profitable business. The peer groups offer creative inspiration and technical advice. A business coach has been invaluable in growing my business and making money!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.RichardsonPortraits.com
- Instagram: @richardsonportraits
- Facebook: Richardson Portraits LA
Image Credits
Headshot courtesy of Katherine McClure Photography
