January 20, 2017

Meet John D. Russell of SoCalEventGroup.com in Manhattan Beach

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to John D. Russell.

John D., can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Photography really started for me after my mother died in 2005. In a blink, I had lost my only family. She passed away unexpectedly in ICU 31 days post liver transplant. Everyone – doctors, nurses, friends, extended family were shocked. We all thought she was going to pull through.

While going through her belongings, I came across our family photo albums. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Those photos were the only thing I had left of my family. It was then that I really understood the importance and the power of photography and decided to commit my life to being a photographer.

Upon my mother’s death, I went back to college and got a degree in business with an emphasis in accounting. While in school I started shooting more and took an apprenticeship for a local photographer.

Upon graduation, I turned down a corporate job in corporate finance to pursue my passion in photography full time. The beginning was really tough but I was able to ramp up quickly due to having minimal debt and very low expenses. I even slept on my friend’s floor for 6 months to save money and give myself the ability a fighting chance at starting my new business. Talk about humble pie! I was 30 years old with a college degree in accounting, I had turned down a high paying job to live on a friends floor and be an artist.

It was scary as hell but I knew if I failed it wouldn’t be the end of the world and I could always fall back on other skill sets and experience I had accumulated through the years.

Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth road? Entrepreneurship? Starting a photography business in L.A.? Haha. Definitely not smooth! Starting a business is tough. One has to do everything (at least initially) – Economist, Salesman, Webmaster, Graphic Designer, Marketer, Accountant, Bookkeeper, Networker, etc. while still improving their craft.

Simply put – I’ve failed in just every way imaginable. I’m okay with that, though. It just means I’m growing and making progress!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with SoCalEventGroup.com – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
SOCAL EVENT GROUP is a group of Professional Event Photographers that specialize in photographing Corporate Events, International Retreats and Conferences, Concerts, and Festivals in Southern California and beyond.

We’ve been hired to shoot events in amazing locations across the U.S. and in amazing international locations including Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia, Dominican Republic, and Saint Lucia to name a few.

Our client list includes Toyota, Ford, Skechers, MindValley, and several celebrities to name just a few.

Our team of dedicated and talented photographers provide professional and friendly service and most importantly epic photography!

We are visual storytellers and there’s a reason the world’s biggest and best corporations and celebrities hire us repeatedly.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Likes:

Accessibility
Options, options, options
Weather
Diversity
Food
Proximity to coast, deserts, and mountains

Dislikes:

Traffic

Contact Info: