Today we’d like to introduce you to James Ricker.
Hi James, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
From the time I was little, I have been obsessed with three things: trying to make people happy, creating music, and finding ways to enjoy this beautifully complex life we all share.
That being said, I was raised in the southeastern “bible belt” area of the U.S, and not uncommon to many my life was heavily impacted by the influence of American evangelical Christianity. After many years of a life shaped by the structures and expectations of the religion, I have fairly recently shifted my perspective and career towards a direction of my own path, which has proved to be uncomfortable and wonderful simultaneously. It’s difficult to describe in words, but I really do love the journey.
I started my career in ministry as a worship leader and youth pastor in local churches in South Carolina. After becoming heavily involved at the megachurch I attended in high school, I put my blinders on and went all in on my (then) dreams to serve young people through music and preaching. Within three years, I had sang in front of thousands of people, I was working full time in ministry, and was engaged to my best friend, now wife, Haley. Without much hesitation, I would say that I was on the fast track to becoming a little Christian superstar.
The job/lifestyle had its perks, but the years of spiritual abuse, exclusion, cognitive dissonance, and suppression of my full self were slowly catching up to me. The questions I had were less and less welcomed as was the free person that I wanted to be. I watched the veneer that was once my dream life decay beyond repair. When I finally realized that I couldn’t “change” the place that I was in and came to terms with the fact that I couldn’t make everyone happy, no matter how much I wanted to, I began to look for a way out.
I can’t complain too much about my former ministry experience because I gained amazing friendships that I have to this day and it helped grow me in a way that forced me to learn boundaries both professionally and personally. The skills I picked up along the way have been extremely valuable to my life, including: public speaking, photography, graphic design, acting, singing, leading bands, series planning, and social media management. I still desire to express myself in those ways, just in new spaces. This exposure to so many creative outlets helped sharpen and define the desires I had for my life moving forwards. Which leads me to my current occupation.
In January of 2020, I quit my job at the church and decided to go into photography full time. I had been shooting graduation and lifestyle portraits in my free time for the past few years and was ready to put all of my effort into this new adventure. It was the first step in doing what I wanted to do, without an outside influence, which was a huge leap for me. It was also then when my wife and I gave ourselves a timeline to move out west to Los Angeles.
I launched James Ricker Photography in the beginning of 2020 and just two short months later, the pandemic hit, locking down most of the industry. Of course it was not easy, but we did manage to get by with just enough. I slowly built my business by shooting weddings, engagements, family portraits, graduations and business photography. I was able to continue my passion for creativity and serving people through the lasting memories that are photos. As the year came to an end, we started looking for places to live in L.A. With restrictions loosening in the area, we made the cross-country drive at the end of winter 2021.
I quickly started a new position as an assistant at Tyler Nix Creative, a commercial photography company in Hollywood working with hundreds of brands nationwide. I am so happy to expand my knowledge in the commercial space while still running my personal business, James Ricker Photography. I offer services for those interested in modeling, headshots, lifestyle content, weddings, family, and graduation photography. As things continue to open up, I look forward to working with more of the amazing people who call L.A home.
I’m truly grateful for my journey, and I want to help anyone else may share a similar experience. I have a long way to go in this photography industry, but I am proud of what I have accomplished so far and I know that it only gets better.
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?
I would say my biggest obstacle so far has been the personal challenge of walking away from a career path after years of putting my heart and soul into religious organizations that seemed to be less and less helpful than I thought previously. I speak on this only because I have talked with so many people who share similar experiences, and if this helps someone, so be it!
I have never excelled in separating work life from personal life, as everything in my world has always just blended together, so the process of leaving a career in ministry was extremely difficult because it was not just a job but a lifestyle. Apart from the well-intended, crappy fear-based warnings of clergy, I had my own narrative in my head that I had to let go of. I needed to allow myself to leave and not feel guilty or as if I was backsliding into all of the “evil” that I was raised to avoid, lol. The toll it took on my mental health was intense, to say the least. Fortunately, I had support at home from my wife and I am where I am now probably because of her strength and love. I believe sharing these personal obstacles is so important because there’s not much value in doing kick-ass work on the outside if you are not O.K. on the inside.
The very practical challenges that I have faced in running my own business are pretty common to anyone pursuing an entrepreneurial path. No more comfortable guaranteed salary, no big team to help carry the workload, and less consistency as far as a “work day” goes. I have had to work multiple jobs to help supplement income on the slow months and have had to deal with personal insecurity of an industry full of amazing creatives that sometimes make me feel like I can’t measure up. I have learned, though, that all of these “problems” are simply invitations to learn and get better, as long as I don’t throw in the towel. I have come to appreciate the struggles because they are pretty much unavoidable.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a creative in Koreatown, LA, specializing in Lifestyle, Wedding, Modeling, Business, and Branding photography. You can also catch me taking photos documenting life wherever we travel to in our free time.
I am most proud of the project I did for a non-profit organization called LRADAC, which is a drug and alcohol prevention and rehabilitation center in South Carolina. In this photoshoot, I got to take portraits of the hard-working staff that were being featured in the business’ annual report that included write ups on what roles they played in helping those struggling with addiction and abuse. I really enjoyed getting to tailor the portraits to highlight each staff member’s personality and job title. The project succeeded in honoring the staff members, as well as helping spread awareness to a truly good and needed cause.
I would say that what sets me apart from others is my genuine interest in those around me, whether it’s a friend or a new client. I enjoy working hard and delivering great content to my clients, but I also want everyone I come across to feel seen and respected, leaving more encouraged and hopeful than before.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice that I can think of right off the bat, from what I have observed in my short time of adulthood, is that no one really knows what they are doing- no matter how put together one can look: so please, if you have an idea or dream that is itching you, follow where it leads! This plays out heavily in creative spaces like photography. I know that there are so many things that we might not understand or know how to do at the beginning of the journey, but don’t let that keep you from trying your new/weird ideas. The technical knowledge will come with discipline and experience, but without heart, instincts, and raw emotion, the work we make will never reach its full potential (in my opinion).
On a more practical note, for those just starting out in photography, I highly recommend finding a mentor who is ahead of you in the process to look up to and learn from if they are willing. In my experience, most photographers enjoy sharing what they have learned to those who are humble and eager to get better. Every time I get around another photographer, I walk away learning something new, still.
Another piece of advice from me would be to get excited about your own work and spend as little time as possible comparing yourself to others in the field, as this can spiral you into apathy and out of creativity. Treat your next project like it is the shiiiiit and give all you have to it, even if you are not where you would like to be yet.
Pricing:
- Portrait Sessions starting at $250.
- Weddings starting at $3,000
- Elopements starting at $1,800
Contact Info:
- Email: rickerphoto@gmail.com
- Website: www.rickerphoto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesrickerphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesrickerphotos
Image Credits:
“Personal photo” of me with camera: shot by Tyler Nix.
