September 14, 2016

Meet Sherman Oaks Photographer: Adam Rose

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to the well-travelled and inspiring Adam Rose.

Adam, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was waiting tables after playing college soccer and knew I had to make a decision on my future with no degree and no prospects in sight. I was living with 5 other guys at the time, saved up some money and decided to buy a medium format film camera because photography was the only thing that interested me at that point. A few months later I made the decision to move from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara to attend Brooks Institute of Photography. I borrowed more money than I should’ve and took a photography major that allowed me to travel as much as possible. After my first year in school, I was chosen to be a part of an 8-week documentary project the school produces once a year, this one focusing on China. After 5 weeks traveling through the Sichuan Province, I knew travel photography was for me. Upon returning, one of my most influential instructors worked with me to develop one of my electives into a personal 5-week documentary project in India. Along with my buddy, we dedicated every waking moment to exploring the country and its culture, and in doing so, it was here I was able to really dive deeper into photography and find my style. I was blessed to be named college photographer of the year with a portfolio from this project, and the last year of school I was actually able to make some money selling my travel images at the weekly art walk along the ocean in Santa Barbara. That eventually grew and led me to where I am now with my travel work.

On a side note, about a year after India, I was assisting at the Palm Springs Photo Festival and in return received a free portfolio review from Dennis Keeley, chair of the undergraduate photography dept at Art Center College of Design. He viewed all my images without a word, finally looked up and said, “Great, these are the most beautiful images you’ll ever take. Now, what?” Well, I’m sure he had no idea what an impact that question would make on me at the time, and I’m still unsure of exactly what he meant by it. A few years later, though, it was engrained in my head and is part of what inspired me to now use my photography for social good. This eventually helped lead to Pics For Promises, a colorful and whimsical love themed photography project shot around the world and built around the idea of giving back. After an initial trial run, the feedback was amazing and we are now gearing up to officially launch at the end of August.

Has it been a smooth road?
After school, I moved right back to Los Angeles and in with my dad. I had massive student debt and wasn’t getting any work besides selling some prints here and there. One thing we didn’t learn in school was the business and marketing aspect of photography, and as a beginning freelancer, I found out quickly that this is where my time and effort was needed. I spent the next six months on the computer all day every day trying to get my name out there, shooting anything that paid, and assisting a couple commercial photographers who really took me under their wing and helped lead me in the right direction. At the same time, my best friend from high school got me a random gig shooting Clint Eastwood’s jazz documentaries. These things, along with some help from my mom and stepdad, who is a lighting designer, got me started shooting for tv and film. This roundabout helped sustain and grow myself and allowed me to split my time between the fine art/travel and commercial worlds of photography. Sometimes I’m even able to combine the two…these are the dream jobs. I owe a lot of people many thanks for helping me get to where I am today.

Who, or what, deserves a lot of credit for where you are today?
Two amazing instructors at Brooks really helped shape me as a photographer…Chuck Place and Ralph Clevenger, both fantastic photographers as well. Chuck gave me the freedom and encouraged me to pursue my passion, ultimately helping me discover my style- a colorful blend of photojournalism and fine art travel photography. Style, I feel, is really one of the hardest things for a photographer to find, so I am forever grateful to Chuck for allowing me the opportunity for that to develop. Ralph inspired me to think out of the box. I took a couple photography classes with him and learned about a wide variety of topics, from being aware of trends to focusing on small details that really take an image to the next level, even if that means taking something out. To this day, some of my favorite images have come from their classes.

Out of school, Patrick Ecclesine and Mathieu Young, both incredible commercial photographers amongst other things, really helped steer me into a world that has allowed me to open many other doors. Both encouraged and helped me to start shooting for the entertainment industry, where I eventually started photographing for some hit TV shows, and that finally led to commercial work. All this gives me the flexibility to continue my pursuit of fine art travel photography, where my wife and I are now pursuing a new project based around spreading the love, paying it forward, and giving back to charity. There are some people you just can’t thank enough for the role they’ve played in contributing to your success…Patrick and Mathieu are those people, and I’m not the only one who would say that.

Finally, my family has been so pivotal every step of the way. My parents have supported me all along and their belief in me is one of the main reasons I believed in myself. Ultimately my wife, Nikki, is the key to my success. We met in high school and she does everything besides take the pictures. From website aesthetic to marketing to frame design, she is everything. On top of that, she runs a household of two kids and a photographer that acts like a kid. How she does it is beyond me, but I do know I that would be nowhere without her.

What type of clients or projects do you look forward to most?
I can’t speak for all artists, but I think most dream of the day their personal passion project becomes the inspiration behind a larger project that allows them to pay the bills. While I think it takes a long time to develop that type of reputation, I feel like I’m getting there. But I also can’t imagine doing only that, as I love being able to collaborate with other clients in all aspects of photography, and life, and I very much enjoy getting calls for amazing jobs in areas I never would have discovered had it not been for the client reaching out. For example, one week I shot a super fun State Farm campaign for a local ad agency, and the next week I was off to photograph the 2016 RNC and DNC for CNN. While they were not travel photography, both of those jobs were some of the most exciting work I’ve ever done. I am grateful to be able to experience the world through different areas of photography, so it’s really the collaboration I look forward to most.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were just starting out?
Never settle. It’s easy to get trapped into a steady paycheck when your passion isn’t making you any money. You have to be prepared to go broke to get what you want, but eventually, it will pay off. And never give up, because other people will and that’s one less competitor standing in your way. Finally, be confident in your worth. Too many times I underbid myself in an attempt to land any sort of gig and cost myself clients and money. When I finally realized my work was just as good as other working photographers, my rates went up and professional clients felt like they were getting a professional photographer, not a desperate graduate. Respect yourself and clients will follow suit.

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