Rising Stars: Meet Sheldon Botler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheldon Botler.

Hi Sheldon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
It was not until recently that I was handed a photograph of myself at four years old with a camera in my hand. Even so, I never saw photography coming.

On September 25th, 2012, I landed in Los Angeles, CA, from Seattle, WA. My full intention was a pursue life as a performing artist, writing and performing original songs. So I did just that. I arrived with $2,500 a couch to sleep on, and my guitar and I hit the streets running. Quickly I realized I needed to document my journey, so I purchased a Nikon D3100. I used this camera for my YouTube videos and capturing my live performances. When I would perform, I would also document other artists. I would take their pictures and offer the images for free just to make friends. But nothing about it made me want to do business. Until one day, someone asked a question… “Do you do headshots?”

My foolish response, “What is a headshot?” I had never felt someone slap me with their eyes until that moment. They looked upon me with confusion, excitement, and slight concern for my naivety. They went on to tell me that people make great livings as photographers and that my work was better than anything they had ever paid for. I thought nothing of my work because it was simply a hobby and a great way to connect with others.

In that moment, the words of a dear college friend, Tyler Broussard, rang in my head. “Your career should be something you would gladly do for free, and people can’t wait to pay you.”

Music was working. I opened for PJ Morton, performed with Durand Burnar, toured with Vaud and the Villains, I even had my own band. And photography was sprouting limbs. Almost as if this creative expression was taking over me.

Fast forward to 2015, I found myself working for Barbizon as a photographer, host, and acting instructor. I enjoyed photography so much that I would shoot 30-60 people in a weekend and feel energized. I knew that it was time to branch off, drop music, and put everything into my new craft. My life changed the day I made that decision.

It is now 2023, and I have successfully established myself as one of L.A.’s go-to photographers. I shoot for the L.A. Sparks, I am a signed vendor for the Los Angeles Country Club, USC, and Oakland School District. I have been flown from here to Switzerland, the Dominican Republic, and all over the United States to shoot for families, brands, and retreats. I’ve now had my work published in multiple magazines, been on the cover of books and album covers. And as of recently, I have created an educational platform on TikTok, @LearnPhotographyTikTok, which you should definitely follow.

Recent Project – Free Portraits for Entrepreneurs Apply/Donate
www.headstartphotoproject.com

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
None of this has come without a healthy number of challenges. But, being who I am and how I think, they were simply challenges. I take every day as an opportunity to grow, to learn something, and to give back. The times that are often most difficult are when I refuse to see or adhere to the lesson.

Since I moved to Los Angeles, I have moved nine times in 11 years. I briefly lost the ability to walk, have accidentally burned bridges, lost entire hard drives, nearly had to sue clients, and have lost more money than some people could fathom in a year. But each of these experiences have grown me. Two in particular stand out to this day.

Lesson One – Ask for what you want.

As entrepreneurs, it is often difficult to ask for what we really want. We undersell ourselves and make concessions, only to find ourselves at the bottom of the totem pole. And it is often our own doing. Or we might overextend ourselves despite clients not having the resources for us to do the best work possible, then we look bad. I fell victim to this way of thinking until one day, an opportunity crossed my desk, and I had a choice to make.

In 2018, I was given the opportunity to work for the Atlas Foundation as a photographer and videographer. This was a multi-day retreat with some of the brightest minds in the U.S., and I was the documentarian. This gig would require me to fly back and forth from LA to the Bay Area, shoot all day, edit on-site, and deliver materials they could use forever for marketing.

On that gig, I was forced to charge my full rate and deliver the best quality work that I could for the hardest work I would ever do. For the second time in my life, I had to create an invoice that exceeded $10k… and I booked it.

In taking on this gig, I was forced to deal with my feelings of inadequacy unworthiness and to be realistic about what it would take to do this project. I needed housing, gas, material resources, enough money to refuse other clients, pay taxes, and cover incidentals (of which there were many), and as a result, I was able to deliver some of my best work yet.

This set the standard for all future gigs.

Lesson 2 – Negotiate, don’t run.

We often think that we either get A or B. But when you think like an entrepreneur, there is A and a half, C, B.5 and every option in between.

For instance, a client says, I can’t afford $1,000, can you do it for $600. You, wanting the work, will often say. Okay, I’ll take it.

I would say the following.

1. Is the issue having the immediate overhead cost right now. I could set you up with a payment plan.
2. I totally understand. $1,000 is out of your budget at the moment. Would you like to shift to a later date so you can prepare financially?
3. Money is not always the biggest factor, you provide a service that I need, how about we trade, and you only pay $500 plus one of your services.

Or my favorite
4. I understand this is out of your budget, would you like to me to send one of my intern referrals (they almost immediately backtrack) NO, WE WANT YOU. Alright then… pay up. Lol.

Lesson 3 – Be humble, vulnerable, and honest.

You are going to make massive mistakes. Admit to them and make it better. Do whatever it takes. You may forget your batteries, a hard drive might die; you may miss a flight, or get sick. Your family may need you. But through honest communication and vulnerability, you can solve most any issue.

Also, I am willing to learn from everyone. If my client or another photographer has something to teach me or a challenge to present me, I take it because I am just a person. My job in life is to learn, grow myself, and grow others. One cannot do this unless they are open to what the world has to teach them.

We can talk in-depth about any number of situations. Message me on social media.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a full-time portrait and event photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. My goals are to draw out people’s best qualities and to help them tell their stories through creative coaching and a vibrant approach to movement and color.

What sets me apart from others is that I am highly adaptable. I can be put in any situation and have masterful control over lighting and composition. There is no circumstance under which I cannot work. And I don’t make excuses.

Additionally, I care for everyone sincerely. I will not work with everyone, but I care and when I have chosen a client, it is my prerogative to see them soar. No job is just a job for me. It is a lasting connection and a personal project. I am well aware that my participation in others’ lives helps to shape their careers, their perceptions of themselves, and how others view them.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
My biggest risks are often the conversations I have with clients. I’ve sent invoices for 10’s of thousands, I’ve approached celebrities and made shoots happen, and I have acquired work that by normal standards would seem impossible to get by simply asking.

But during any shoot, I am willing to speak candidly with my clients about sensitive and personal matters to ensure that they are left understood, uplifted, and sometimes coaxed out of their own negative thinking. I have cried with my clients, pushed them to new emotional limits, and examined deep hurts with them. But the reward after having these hard conversations is always greater than anything.

People are people. We all want to be seen, heard and cared for. Though my job is technically to take the shot and go, my duty is to enhance people’s lives through every skill that I can provide.

Pricing:

• $250/hr – Portraits/Weddings/Corporate Events

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sheldonbotler.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheldonbotler/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheldon-botler-8a019a20
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sheldon-botler-photography-los-angeles-4
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@learnphotographytiktok?lang=en

Image Credits
Sheldon Botler Photography